


Savior of the Night

by Captain_Winter



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety, Attempt at Humor, Body Worship, Comfort, Dancing, Day At The Beach, Drinking, Escort Service, Eventual Smut, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Fun, I Don't Even Know, Idiots in Love, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Sex, Sexual Tension, Social Anxiety, Stag Nights & Bachelor Parties, Strangers to Lovers, The Wedding Date, Top Katsuki Yuuri, Top Victor Nikiforov, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, little pink cadillac, that banquet scene that everyone loves so much and it's canon, the fake/pretend relationship fic that no one asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-11-19
Packaged: 2018-11-16 14:46:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 60,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11255124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Winter/pseuds/Captain_Winter
Summary: A single Yuuri Katsuki gets an invitation to a childhood friend's wedding. After pressure from his family to find someone, he may have accidentally told them that he has a long-term boyfriend that he's going to bring to the wedding. Oops. Yuuri's forced to do what he never thought he would do... hire someone from an escort service and hope for the best.Enter the most beautiful, suave person in the world, who Yuuri hires to pose as his boyfriend for the wedding. Desperate times call for desperate measures, but who would have thought that desperate measures would have brought him a savior?Loosely based on the film "the Wedding Date."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Heaven & Hell Escort Service](https://archiveofourown.org/works/753898) by [thejigsawtimess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thejigsawtimess/pseuds/thejigsawtimess). 



> Hello everyone and welcome to my first fic!
> 
> I was watching "the Wedding Date" a while ago and I started to imagine what it would be like if this was a yoi fic? Long story short and a few thousand words in, this story popped up! I may have borrowed some scenes and quotes from the movie, and adding a disclaimer: I don't own these characters, they belong to Mitsurō Kubo and Sayo Yamamoto, the wonderful creators of the show we all know and love!
> 
> I really wanted the Nishigori wedding to be somewhere in California and it to be beautiful and outside. Although it would make a lot more sense to have a wedding in Japan, I wanted everything in this story to be very Americanized.
> 
> Please enjoy the story and let me know what you think! :)

 

 

 

_You are INVITED_

 

_Yuuko Ise and Takeshi Nishigori_

 

_Cordially invite you to celebrate their happiness as they unite in marriage!_

 

_SATURDAY_

_July 23, 2016_

_4 o’clock in the afternoon_

 

_Beaulieu Garden_

_Rutherford, CA 94573_

 

 

There’s a plus-one ticket included with the invitation.

 

“Shit,” Yuuri Katsuki said out loud to no one in particular. It’s been almost six years since he’s last seen his family in California. He’s surprised that his childhood friend even remembered him after so long despite the fact that he never called.

 

Placing his keys and phone on the counter, he rubs his eyes and swiftly walks over to the bathroom. After a long day of editing manuscripts, he came home expecting peace and quiet, but what he received in the mail gave his very turbulent mind quite the opposite. Cold water splashed on his face almost as if it’s the universe’s way of saying, _pull yourself together man._

 

His hands tightly gripped the edges of the sink so hard that his knuckles turned white. He stared at his dripping wet reflection in the mirror. Suddenly, a shrill, melodic voice came from the kitchen as he wipes his face with a towel and jogs back out to find the source of the sound. He glances at the caller ID of his ringing phone, smiles at it, and answers immediately.

 

“Hey, Phichit,” Yuuri says into the phone, while tucking it between his shoulder and his ear as he searches for something to eat in the fridge.

 

“Ah, Yuuri! Just the man I wanted to speak to,” Yuuri can hear the smile in his voice.

 

“And why’s that?” his eyebrows scrunch together as he takes out what looks like a week old sushi box. He takes off the lid and sniffs it, just to make sure if it’s ok to eat or not. He finds himself silently retching at the awful smell.

 

“What? I can’t call to say that I’ve missed you?” Phichit practically asks in a sing-song voice.

 

“No, you can. But that just usually means that you want something from me,” Yuuri puts the lid back on the expired sushi and throws it in the trash. He shuts the door of the almost empty fridge and moves the phone to his other ear.

 

A dramatic gasp is comes from the other line. “Yuuri, I’m hurt. I’m hurt that you think so low of me.”

 

Yuuri snickers quietly so that Phichit wouldn’t hear him. “So, what’s up? What do you want?”

 

“I just want some quality speaking time with my best friend. Is that too much to ask?”

 

“Phichit, I saw you an hour ago.”

 

“Yeah I know. But your voice sounds so different on the phone. It’s almost relaxing.”

 

Yuuri smiles at his friend’s words. They’re meant to be touching, but Yuuri knows Phichit very well. Right now, he smells bullshit… and it’s not the sushi. “Phichit?” He asks elongating the first syllable and crescendoing the last syllable.

 

“...Okay, okay. Don’t get mad, okay?”

 

He braces himself for the worst, leaning against the wall next to the fridge for support. “Shoot.”

 

Phichit takes a deep breath, “I just got an invitation in the mail for the Nishigori wedding.” He stops as if expecting Yuuri to shout. Hearing silence on the other end he asks, “Yuuri?”

 

“I’m listening.”

 

“It says there’s a plus-one.”

 

“Okay?”

 

“Do you wanna be my plus-one?”

 

“Phichit, I got an invitation too and I was gonna ask _you_ to be my plus-one.”

 

Yuuri hears a sigh of relief on the other end. “Okay good, because I was beginning to wonder, how come I got an invitation and you didn’t, or something like that and I got really nervous. It’s nice to know that we were both on the same page.”

 

“So, technically, you don’t even need your plus-one ticket,” Yuuri points out.

 

“Here’s where the _don’t get mad_ part comes in. I met this Korean lawyer. He’s really quiet, he kind of reminds me of you that way, and he’s super sweet. I also wanted him to be a plus-one too.”

 

“Are you asking me for my approval?”

 

“Kind of. That’s why I called to make sure you had an invitation as well. Because I knew if I just went along and gave him my plus one without asking you about it, you would be pissed at me and threaten our friendship, like you always do every time I do something. Like that one time where you got drunk and you poured champagne all over yourself and screamed ‘this is my JAM’ at every single song that came on and I picked you up and carried your dumbass home so that you didn’t embarrass yourself any further? Or that other time where you almost got into a fight with someone because they said they hated dogs because they’re too friendly and you wanted to defend Vichann’s honor and I dragged you away from that too? Or, or, or, another time where you met this really good looking cop and you-”

 

“Alright, Phichit I get it,” Yuuri interrupted not wanting to be reminded of all the terrible things that he’s done in their college days.

 

“Anyways. The point is Yuuri, I think they gave you a plus-one because they want to see you being happy with a date.”

 

“Wait, that doesn’t make any sense. I thought weddings were the perfect place to meet people. Why should I bring a date?”

 

“Why would they give you a ticket and a plus-one, and then give me a ticket and a plus-one if they know that you’re my best friend and we were going to be each other’s plus-one anyway? You get me?”

 

“...I don’t follow.”

 

“I mean, it’s a waste of tickets to give both me and you plus-ones when they know that you are going to be my plus-one anyways.”

 

“Maybe they just want more people?” Yuuri asked while moving out of the kitchen to sit on one of the countertop chairs. This whole ordeal was giving him was giving him a headache. “I don’t know. Why do you care? You were going to bring that Korean dude,” he points out.

 

“Yeah. But the whole thing seems fishy to me. I don’t know either, it’s just a hunch. A weird hunch.”

 

Yuuri sighs. Phichit is the type of friend that would tell you immediately if he feels there’s something wrong with a situation. He’s also the type of friend who would drive you crazy with selfies too, but that’s not the point. The point is, that Phichit’s usually right 95% of the time and the other 5% just happens to be an accident.

 

There’s a pause and then Phichit’s voice comes through, “It’s okay Yuuri, everything will work out just fine. It’s going to be so much easier when the wedding comes and goes. You’ll see.” Yuuri grimaces, thinking about all the family members that he’s going to see, dealing with the ‘how come you’re single?’ questions and the setting up with people and the people that he’s gonna have to deal with and… his thoughts  get interrupted by Phichit. “Oh, I _do_ miss you by the way.”

 

“Of course you do.”

 

“Sooo… are you gonna go to sleep? Watch Netflix? Or is there time for me to ask about your newest plus-one?” Phichit asks with forced nonchalance.

 

Yuuri rolls his eyes. “No.”

 

“No, what?”

 

“I’m not bringing a plus-one.” There’s silence on the other line. Silence? From Phichit? That can’t be good. “Phichit? You still there?”

 

“Yeah, I’m here. Why not? Why aren’t you bringing someone?”

 

“Because I’m not interested in someone right now?”

 

There was a pause, “...Is it because of the thing I did with the cop?”

 

“What? No, it’s not that, it’s just that…” _I don’t know how to act around anyone anymore. Oh my god. This wedding is going to be a nightmare,_ he thinks. He suddenly finds it difficult to breathe

 

“Oh god, have I done something awful again?” Phichit sounds desperate, and Yuuri wants to comfort him, but he has no idea how.

 

“Again? No, Phichit you’re fine. You’re one of the best friends that anyone could ask for. I’m just… scared to go back.”

 

“Yuuri. My dear friend, Yuuri. Everything is going to be fine. And if you really don’t want to meet up with them, you don’t have to. I’ll do anything that I can to reduce your anxiety.”

 

“Thanks Phichit. That means a lot.”

 

“And don’t worry about it too much. I’ll see you later okay?”

 

Yuuri smiles and blinks away tears that don’t fall. “Okay Phichit.”

 

“Love ya, brotha!”

 

“Love you too,” and he hears a click of the end of a call. Placing his phone face down on the counter he turns to see if the invitation is still there. It is.

 

“Shit,” he says again and moves to lie down on his crappy couch. The tv is on, but he’s not paying attention to it, leaving it as background music. Eyelids as heavy as the weight he feels in his chest, he slowly drifts off to a dreamless slumber.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Yuuri wakes up to the ringing of his phone and a couch pillow full of drool. Oops. He stood up a little too quickly and felt dizzy at the sudden loss of blood to the head. Quickly running over to the countertop, he nearly tripped over his own feet trying to reach the phone in time.

 

“Hello?” he answered breathlessly without looking at caller ID.

 

“Yuuri,” the soft and feminine voice of his mother pours out of the phone and Yuuri’s heart immediately sinks with guilt.

 

“Oh. Hi Mom.”

 

Hiroko Katsuki gently chuckles on the other end of the line. Yuuri thinks about how different things must be in LA, working at the Hot Springs, them preparing for a semi-local wedding, and the absence of a son because he’s on the other side of the United States.

 

“You sounded like you were expecting someone else,” Hiroko says sweetly.

 

Yuuri closes his eyes and silently prays for the conversation to be over soon. He loves his mother very much, but his remorse is even stronger.

 

“No, in fact I wasn’t expecting anyone,” he nervously laughs into the phone and rubs the back of his head. His stubborn stomach growls loudly which reminds him that he hasn’t eaten since lunch yesterday. “What’s up?”

 

“I was just wondering, how’s your job over there? Are you ok with everything that's going on?”

 

“Yeah Mom, everything’s fine. I just finished editing a manuscript and it’s all good to go.”

 

“That’s good, that’s good,” there’s an awkward pause almost as if neither of them know what to say. Which is true because he really doesn’t know what to say to his mother. His chest tightens with anticipation. “How’s your story coming along?”

 

Yuuri’s taken by surprise. “You remembered?”

 

“Of course I remembered. It’s something that you wanted to do since you were a child,” his mother reminds him.

 

“Oh right. I haven’t been able to work on it so much because Celestino has been working me to the bone with all these new manuscripts to edit. But, I’m a quarter of the way done with my story, so at least it’s something,” he tells his mother while frantically searching his mind for an excuse to leave the conversation early. “Look Mom, can I call you another time? I’m really tired and starving-”

 

“Sweetie, if you wanted to get rid of me just say so.”

 

“No, Mom that’s not what I meant-”

 

“It’s fine, it’s just that you hardly ever call and I wanted to know what’s going on in my little boy’s life.”

 

Yuuri questionably raised his eyebrow. “Really?”

 

“Yes, I wanted to make sure you were going to come to the wedding.” _Ah, the wedding,_ he should have seen this coming. “I want to see my boy after…” she pauses and he imagined her counting on her fingers, “almost six years?”

 

“I know, and I’m really sorry about that Mom,” his chest in knots as he speaks.

 

“Sorry? Don’t be sorry my beautiful son. I’m sure there’s a good explanation for not calling. Are you...with...someone?” Hiroko asked with hope in her voice. That question just added one more knot twisting in Yuuri’s chest. He was too busy trying to find a stable job and a chance to publish his book to go in the right direction that he neglected his love life. _Not like there was a love life to begin with_ , he thought. “It’ll make me feel better if you’re with someone,” and _boom_ , she unconsciously added another pound to the ever growing weight in his chest.

 

He thought for a second and had an internal debate about telling her the truth and breaking her heart or telling a little white lie and deal with the consequences later. He hated adding on to the ever growing guilt but he took a deep breath and he closed his eyes. “Yes, I’m with someone Mom.”

 

“Really? This is wonderful news! What are they like?” he hears her clapping ecstatically.

 

“I can't tell you that,” _because I don't even know the guy_. “Why should I tell you right now, when you can meet him at the wedding and see for yourself?” he carefully chooses his words and laughs to lighten the mood. A bead of sweat trickles down his forehead.

 

“Him? Oh, darling, I can’t wait to see him. Does he make you happy?”

 

Yuuri wipes his forehead with the back of his hand. “Yeah. He’s the best. I really like spending time with him.” He prays for his mother not to ask anymore questions because there’s only so much lying he can do before he spontaneously combusts.

 

“I’m excited. I can’t wait to see you and the man who stole your heart!”

 

“Yeah, I’m excited too. Anyways, Mom, this time I really have to go,” Yuuri doesn’t think he can be able to tell her any more lies.

 

“Oh, okay sweetie,” she can barely contain the happiness in her voice. Yuuri’s glad that he made her have this short lived bliss. But what’s going to happen when she finds out that he was lying to her? “I’ll see you at the wedding, okay?”

 

“Yes. At the wedding. See you there, Mom,” he pressed end call right after he hears her goodbye.

 

It takes about two seconds before the enormity of what he’s done crashes down on him. He collapses to the floor next to the countertop then buries his face in his hands and groans loudly. He reminds himself to always look at the caller ID before he does something stupid like that again.

 

 

* * *

 

  

“You didn't.”

 

“I did,” Yuuri told his best friend with his head hung in shame. He really should have seen this coming when he so blatantly lied to his mother about having a date for the wedding. He should have seen his overwhelming anxiety and fear of failure come crashing down on him in just a matter of minutes. Calling Phichit over to his apartment may have been one of the best decisions that he's made all day because at least he has someone to talk to about what he's just done.

 

Phichit's arms encompassed him in the gentlest hug that Yuuri's ever been in. He quietly thanks Phichit for being here with him in what he considers a 'dark time’. “It's okay, Yuuri. I would have done the exact same thing you did,” he says comfortingly.

 

“I just... didn't want her to be disappointed in me. I was stupid and rarely called home. Whenever I did call, it was always short and vague and oh my god they probably hate me. I'm such a bad son. I haven't told them about the student loans that I still need to pay, how I'm practically dead because I haven't eaten in what feels like forever-”

 

“Yuuri, when _was_ the last time you've eaten?” Phichit interrupted. He had to stop and think for a while. That just made his friend mad. Phichit moved his arms from the hug to keep Yuuri at arms length away to look him in the eyes. “Uh-oh. That's not good if you have to _think_ about the last time you ate. Get dressed. I'm taking you out.”

 

“Out?” Yuuri shivered at the sudden loss of Phichit’s warmth.

 

“Yes, out. Come on, I'll pay. My treat.”

 

“Phichit, I can't make you do that.”

 

“Why not? I can do whatever I want,” he stood up from their place on Yuuri’s couch and brushed his hands on his pants. “Do you even have anything in your fridge?” he said while moving to the kitchen.

 

“You don't wanna know, man.”

 

He closed the fridge just as quickly as he opened it. “Shit, Yuuri. You really _don't_ have anything in there. Not to worry, it's Phichit to the rescue,” he walks over to Yuuri and drags him by the arms to stand up. “Come on, let's go out,” he repeats. And Yuuri, who's still in shock because of what's happened, said nothing in response. “I'll buy you a Katsudon!”

 

Yuuri piped up at the word 'katsudon’. He smiled at his friend who knows him so well. Where would he be without his best friend, Phichit Chulanot?

 

 

* * *

 

 

A plate of steaming hot Katsudon stares back at Yuuri, practically begging to be eaten. His stomach growls at the sight and he immediately digs in, feeling like a child on Christmas. Phichit smiles as he watches Yuuri devour the pork cutlet bowl. He takes out his phone and snaps a picture of Yuuri eating, captioning it, “taking my kid out to eat :)".

 

“After this we're gonna go to a supermarket or something to fill up your sad excuse for a fridge.”

 

“Alright now _that_ I'm paying for,” Yuuri said with a mouth full of rice. Phichit chuckled. _Of course the Japanese man would take any chance at a free pork cutlet bowl_ , he thought.

 

The bowl is clean after a few minutes, resulting in Yuuri throwing his head on the table and groaning in anguish. “What am I gonna do now, Phich?”

 

“Well for starters you're gonna pull yourself together and buy yourself some ramen noodles or some shit like that and pack your empty-ass kitchen.”

 

“Not that,” Yuuri moaned. “What am I gonna do about my non-existent boyfriend who has to exist for the wedding?”

 

“Hmm,” Phichit taps his index finger against his chin as if he's deep in thought. His face changes like a light bulb went off in his mind. “I got something. Don't be mad, okay?”

 

Yuuri narrowed his eyes. “Just tell me your plan. I'm practically desperate.”

 

The Thai boy bit his lip and for a second Yuuri thought that this was another one of the younger boy’s tricks. That he really doesn't have an idea and he really doesn't know how to help him. “Well…” he starts.

 

“Well, what? Do you have an idea or not?” Yuuri nervously asked.

 

“Alright, loverboy. Now you obviously don't want to tell your mom the truth right?” That results in a glare from his best friend. “Okay, okay,” he puts his hands up in surrender but he continued talking as if his life depended on it. “I'm just reminding you this was back in the day at my old high school. It was prom, right?” Phichit stopped for a second. He moved the bowls out of the way, making a clear path between the two of them. He continues his story, making eye contact with Yuuri and occasionally stopping to make hand gestures.

 

“So this dude - complete nerd btw - showed up to prom with one of the most beautiful girls I had ever seen in my life practically attached to his arm. Now this girl was probs, what? Like, 20? 21?”

 

He stopped and looked at Yuuri as if asking to continue the story. Yuuri motioned him to go on. “His girl was freaking gorgeous. She's got a tight black dress, medium length curly brown hair, big boobs, the whole shabang. Total babe. The kind of babe that could kill you with one look. She's what the kids call, ‘sinnamon roll’ with an ‘s’,” Phichit used air quotes to make Yuuri laugh. It's almost like he was transported back to their college days where Phichit constantly called him a cinnamon roll.

 

“Anyways, everyone comes up to the dude - whose name I can’t remember - and congratulate him on his catch, and they started asking all kinds of questions like, how could a dude like that catch a babe like her? He answered something along the lines of, “she was made for me,” or some romantic shit like that,” he bursts out laughing causing Yuuri to look at him in amusement.

 

“But it turns out that the nerd knew his way around. They were making out almost half the time and the other half of the time, his girl spiked the punch bowl with vodka and they got kicked out. The whole school learned about Beauty and the Nerd and they all thought he was one of the coolest kids in school. But everyone kept asking, where the hell did this beauty come from? Can you guess where he got this girl?”

 

Yuuri shook his head.

 

“The answer was simple. The kid spent about two grand for an escort to prom.”

 

“An escort to prom?”

 

“Yeah. Nerd went to an escort website, placed his order in, and boom! Enter a hot, sexy escort to a shitty overrated event like prom. Fun, right?”

 

Yuuri side eyed Phichit, unable to fully comprehend what he's saying.

 

“So… what you're saying is… I have to get a hooker?” Phichit snorts making Yuuri laugh at his own interpretation of the boy's story. “Sorry Phich, I don't think a hooker is our solution to my legitimate problem.”

 

“Dammit Yuuri. Escorts aren't hookers. They're more educated and more expensive. They may have a bad name but hey, if it works, it works. And it turns out the website is actually legit. There's a questionnaire you have to fill out and everything. It's perfectly tailored to what you want and it's legit,” he puts emphasis on the word ‘legit’.

 

“Oh yeah? How do you know?” Yuuri points out.

 

“I know because once the school heard the news about Nerd's 'escort’ problem, a couple buddies of mine actually went to check out the website. It's well thought out and everything. Look, all I'm saying is, give it a try. Maybe it'll be a good thing that you did it. Maybe it's exactly what you need, Yuuri.”

 

“Doesn't your lawyer dude have any friends that you can hookup me up with?” Yuuri asks suddenly remembering Phichit's plus-one. The escort thing may be a good idea, but knowing himself, he might accidentally mess up the application process and the service would give him someone horrible.

 

Phichit laughed. “Nah. He's real quiet and keeps to himself. In fact, his only best friend is his husky. Yuuri, it looks like I have a type,” he says as he wiggles his eyebrows at the man sitting next to him which results in a playful push. “Just think about it ok? If there's a questionnaire that you can fill out honestly, then it won't be that bad,” Phichit gives him his most reassuring voice.

 

Yuuri stares at his friend. It makes sense, and it's the only way to quickly get someone who will be willing to help him out at the event that he will definitely need help getting through. He sighs and says, “Okay, I'll try it out.”

 

“Yay!” Phichit claps in excitement.

 

“But,” he hears Phichit audibly groan. “If anything looks fishy, I'm out.”

 

“Fair enough.”

 

“Alright, what's the service called?”

 

“I believe it's called, From Russia With Love.”

 

“Phichit, I'm serious.”

 

“Just kidding. It's called Stay Close to Me Escort Services.”

 

“Stay Close to Me Escort Services,” Yuuri repeats. Sounds interesting enough.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The day after the incident, Yuuri comes home from work exhausted, complete with a screaming mind and stumbling limbs. Celestino forced him to go home early because he obviously wasn’t at his best, despite Yuuri’s protests. The newest intern of Black Harbour Publishing, Minami Kenjirou, picked up on the man’s troubles and snuck in a piece of chocolate cake to give to Yuuri.

It was kind of amusing. The teen was humming his own theme music as he made his way to Katsuki’s office, knocked on the door, and when there was no answer, he swiftly made his way in and out, leaving the cake as the only indicator that he was there. Minami reappeared back in his own cubicle quietly giggling to himself because in his mind, he was a ninja who gave his idol what he thinks is the best gift ever. Little did he know that his idol was smiling at him while watching the whole thing.

 

Yuuri slumps against the back of his closed door and sinks to the ground while closing his eyes. He debates on going to bed and taking a nap to relieve his exhaustion, or eating the gift the emotionally intelligent intern gave him. The rumbling stomach answers him, so he gets back up on his feet and takes out the little tupperware that he put the cake in, and sets it on the counter.

 

Once the cake is in his mouth, his eyes rolled back into his head, enjoying the pure chocolatey goodness. But then he’s reminded of the outside world. That damn Phichit, who somehow managed to remind him through text about his troubles that he doesn’t quite want to deal with yet.

 

 _I know you may not be comfortable with this whole escort thing, but there’s not a lot of options. Just try it out, will you?_ the text reads. There’s a highlighted link to a website.

 

Yuuri sighs, stuffing the last of the cake in his face and turns off his phone. Now sounds like a really good time to go to sleep. But he’s already wasted enough time being frustrated, so this is his best option. He goes into his bedroom to retrieve his laptop. While waiting for the loading screen to disappear, he strips out of his clothes and puts on an old band t-shirt that he always wears to bed.

 

“Shit,” he says out loud and runs back into the kitchen to look up the website that Phichit texted him. He brings his phone to his bedroom because he’s sure that he would forget the address anyways and finds the Google screen staring back at him. Moving the cursor and hoping for the best, he types “Stay Close to Me escort service” into the search box, then clicks on the first entry that pops up.

 

Sure enough, the website is entirely composed of beautiful colors and calligraphy whose goal is to capture the attention of anyone, and it’s doing a good job too.

 

**_Stay Close to Me Escort Service_ **

_Where the story begins_

_and heartbeats mend_

_for however long is necessary._

 

_ Click here to start the journey!  _

 

Yuuri scoffs at the word choice. It sounds like some sort of crappy introduction to a Nicholas Sparks book. He debates on pressing the back arrow and never visiting this website ever again. Maybe he’ll just tell Phichit that he took the questionnaire and everything but it’s just not his style and the person that he was given had a personality clash with him and it didn’t work out. He was going to go that route anyway, but he accidentally pressed enter and he can’t back away now.

 

Almost as if it was a sign that he needed to continue in this direction, he read on. This time the words weren’t a horrible attempt at a romance novel and they were easier to read.

 

_There’s a small questionnaire to fill out_

_in order for us to find the person who is_

_most made for you._

 

_Note: if for any reason you choose_

_to end the questionnaire,_

_that option is available._

_Just tap on the small snowflake icon_

_on the corner of the screen._

 

Yuuri scrolls down, marveling at the simplicity of the website while at the same time feeling a bit paranoid. Like someone is going to jump up from behind him saying, ‘you’ve been punked!’ or something along those lines. His intrusive thoughts cause his fingers to hover over the keys and land on the escape button. The phone flashes next to him alerting him of a new notification. Yuuri swipes up and sees a DO IT! gif of Shia Labeouf from Phichit as an indicator to continue.

 

 _Ok, you can do this. It’s just a simple questionnaire. If things don’t work out, just click on the little snowflake. Or if you want to be safer just shut the laptop, it’s not that hard,_ he tries to reassure himself. Here goes nothing:

 

**_Number 1: Have you ever had a long-term romantic partner?_ **

 

**_a. Yes_ **

**_b. No_ **

 

Yuuri blinks and his life flashes before his eyes. Sadly, his relationships don’t last very long. The most he’s ever gone was two weeks or even the first date. It’s not that he doesn’t want a relationship, it’s that anxiety takes over and often times things don’t work out. Gritting his teeth, he clicks ‘b’ and moves on to the next question.

 

**_Number 2: Have you ever had a broken heart?_ **

 

**_a. Yes_ **

**_b. No_ **

 

The answer to this question is simple. You have to be in love to have your heart be broken. ‘No’ is clicked and Yuuri lets out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding.

 

**_Number 3: Do you believe in soulmates?_ **

 

**_a. Yes_ **

_**b. No** _

 

Yuuri narrows his eyes. Why is this question even here? On an escort service website? These people obviously have a sense of humor, making fun of what people want to believe in. Believing in soulmates is very naive; there’s a world full of more than seven billion people and believing that there’s just one person in this horrible world that’s meant to be a lover and a best friend or more specifically, your other half?

 

Maybe it’s the idea of unconditional love that affects him greatly. Someone he can love and will love him back. Maybe believing in soulmates isn’t that naive after all. It’s a thought that gives people hope. And that hope allows them to make this life bearable.

 

Does Yuuri believe in soulmates? In his heart, he knows that to be true. He bites his lip and clicks ‘a’.

 

After answering the questions, he’s directed to a loading screen that says: ‘please be patient with us as we search for your perfect match.’

 

Suddenly, he sees himself on the screen - and it’s not his reflection. His camera is turned on! _What the hell is this?_ he thinks as he quickly starts to freak out. _Is the government out to get me? Is this website illegal? Dammit Phichit, the one time I look up something that can help my problem and they’ve found me. I’m gone. I’m going to jail. Say goodbye to my family for me. I’m gone. I’m…_

 

Another face appears on screen and the Skype symbol is at the bottom of the screen? A dark haired man with blue eyes who looks done with life glances at Yuuri, which makes him suddenly aware of how he looks, so frantically fixes his hair.

 

“Oh no, there’s no need for that,” a muffled voice comes from his laptop’s speakers.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“I just wanted to make sure you were real. It’s like a kind precaution that we have to take before you go any further in the questionnaire,” the man says completely bored.

 

“Isn’t this an invasion of privacy? Why didn’t you put that on the website?” Yuuri asks.

 

“Because then people wouldn’t continue,” he tells Yuuri truthfully.

 

Yuuri paused and raised his eyebrow, surprised at this encounter. “I guess that makes sense?” he says confused. He wants to be polite because the bored man on the screen looks absolutely miserable. Of course, he would be too, if he had this poor man’s job.

 

“If you’ll just give me your name and phone number, I’ll do the best I can to hook you up with, ‘the one that was made for you’,” the man uses air quotes to emphasize what was said on the homescreen.

 

“Katsuki. Yuuri Katsuki,” he says and tells the screen his phone number. The man nods and types into another laptop that’s offscreen.

 

“Thank you. Can you give me the dates that you will be needing ‘the one’ for?”

 

He tells the man July 19 through 23. It includes arrival, rehearsal, parties, the actual wedding, and it gives him enough time to go through the plan, making it a grand total of... 5 days.

 

“Alright. We have some people available for those dates. I’ll connect you to our profiling system where you can pick the characteristics of ‘the one’ and find your perfect match,” the man says causing Yuuri to let out a nervous laugh.

 

“‘The perfect match’, that’s funny.”

 

The man smiles and shakes his head. He thanks Yuuri for calling and says goodbye, turning off the camera, and leaving Yuuri staring at a changing screen. He is in fact directed to another page with a whole new set of questions. He groans at the list, thinking of the lost time where he’d rather be sleeping.

 

_Enter the profiling system, to find your perfect mate!_

 

_Please note that you have limited options_

_based on the times that you have_

_provided before reaching this destination._

 

This is where Yuuri’s heart starts to race. He needs to be careful because he only has one shot. If he enters the wrong characteristic, it’s bye-bye to ‘the perfect mate’.

 

**_1.) My ideal mate is_ **

 

**_a. Male_ **

**_b. Female_ **

 

At least this question is easy. He picks ‘a’. He wants to get through this as soon as possible, so he doesn’t have to deal with unnecessary drama and so he can get the sleep he so desperately needs.

 

**_2.) My ideal mate would be_ **

 

**_a. Flirtatious, sexy, and confident_ **

**_b. Affectionate, formal, and intelligent_ **

**_c. Protective, determined, and chivalrous_ **

 

All of these personality types seem very likable yet so difficult to choose from. Yuuri rubs his forehead in frustration. He thinks about his options. Being with someone that has an ‘a’ personality isn’t really his style. He feels as if people would know that his date would be fake, and if his escort is naturally flirtatious, he would start to flirt with other members at the wedding making everyone confused. Why is Yuuri’s date flirting with the bridesmaid? Or with the groomsman - depending on how flirtatious the man is. Or even his confidence might be too much for Yuuri to handle. Something like that would definitely stir up even more problems, so he decides to rule out ‘a’.

 

He likes the idea of ‘b’. An affectionate, formal, and intelligent escort would be a good idea. He would know exactly what to say to the guests, his formalness would be effective, and his affectionate nature would make Yuuri’s lie a little bit more believable. He decides to go with ‘b’, but also looks at ‘c’ for good measure.

 

The ‘c’ personality looks nice, but there’s something about him that throws Yuuri off. The fact that protective is the first personality trait listed makes Yuuri nervous. There’s no knowing how far his protective nature would go. Maybe this guy is purely overprotective and he won’t even let Yuuri be himself. Not to mention that determined and chivalrous is added to the description, making Yuuri even more nervous about this possible personality clash.

 

Well, that settles it. Yuuri picks ‘b’ and moves on to the next question.

 

**_3.) My ideal mate’s appearance is_ **

 

**_a. The charmingly handsome man with two toned blonde and brown hair styled in an undercut and hazel eyes with ridiculously long eyelashes_ **

**_b.The devastatingly handsome man with short silver hair complete with bangs that cover his left eye and light blue/green eyes that you can swim in_ **

**c. The ruggedly handsome man with golden tanned skin, short brown hair, and royally purple eyes**

 

Yuuri whistles. These are so descriptive that he can almost imagine them standing in front of him. He hates basing this whole selection thing on appearance alone but he decides to pair them with the previous descriptions. He presses the back arrow so he can refresh his memory on the personalities. There’s really no telling if what he’s doing is even correct but he’s got a good feeling about this, he then goes back to the appearance question. Closing his eyes and moving the cursor up and down on the screen, he lets fate decide with appearance to pick as he wishes for the best.

 

He stops moving the mouse and opens his eyes. The escort gods have allowed him to land on the ‘b’ choice. He breathes a sigh of relief, _that’s who appealed to me the most anyways_ , silently laughing at himself. Pressing enter, he expected another question but nothing showed up, indicating that the questionnaire was now over.

 

Yuuri starts to panic. _Did I do something wrong? Was I not supposed to go back? Did I mess up everything?_ He hates this feeling of uncertainty as a purple and pink webpage comes up with a little snowflake twirling around like a loading sign. He can barely contain his excitement yet at the same time he feels anxious not knowing what to expect.

 

A new page pops up, with snowflakes gently falling vertically across the screen and the words:

 

_Congratulations!!!_

_Your soulmate is…_

 

**_VIKTOR_ **

 

Yuuri blinks at the name. He suddenly doesn’t feel anxious anymore. Instead, he’s filled with exhilaration as his heartbeat continues to pick up the pace. He reads the name over and over again until the cursive letters are burned into his memory and the only thing on his mind is a name.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Viktor hates when Yakov calls him into the office. Everytime he is summoned it usually means there’s a complaint or there’s another “mission” that he needs to answer. Whenever someone fills out the application and they’re paired with an escort, Yakov always makes them report to him and refer to the process as a “mission”. He dreads every single second of it.

 

Despite Viktor’s dread, he always manages to pull through the day with minimal damages and fantastic reviews. And because he’s the best of the best, his prices are a bit expensive, so he’s forced to give his customers a great time, whether he likes it or not. Helping people is his job, it’s what he’s good at. But little did he know that what he’s good at would turn out to be what he despises the most.

 

“Vitya!”

 

Viktor’s head picked up at the sound of Yakov’s voice. He sees the old man move his index finger in a “come here” gesture.

 

“Good luck, Viktor,” he hears from his friend Christophe across the room. He looks over at the Swiss man who smirks at him in response to their eye contact. _Ah Chris, always as charming as ever_. This man has been an escort so many times, in fact, he's been an escort more times than Viktor. People always seem to choose the flirtatious and confident option rather than the affectionate and intelligent option. But, he's not complaining. Just because more people choose Chris's personality doesn't mean he'll be promoted, it just means that the Swiss man gets the action he deserves.

 

“Thanks Chris. I'm not gonna need it though,” he mutters as he steps into Yakov's office.

 

He's been in Yakov’s office multiple times but every time he's there he can't help but feel a little overwhelmed. It’s filled with photographs of himself and all the escorts, celebrities, there's even pictures of him with foreign leaders. His desk is perfectly organized and clear with a desktop computer in the corner and file cabinets on the other side of the room, it all looks relatively normal. The only thing that looks out of place is a small, red Matryoshka doll that's placed on his desk with eyes that seem to follow him wherever he went.

 

“Sit down,” he orders. Viktor sits obediently, wishing he would rather be at home with his beautiful poodle, Makkachin, rather than here.

 

“Did someone complain about me again? I swear I didn't do anything wrong this time, I was a perfect gentleman. She was drunk and I just calmly did was I was supposed to do… take her home. It's not my fault that I didn't take advantage of her even though she wanted me to. I swear some people are so touchy that you do one thing wrong and then ask to speak to my 'superiors’. I haven't had a customer in weeks, why am I in trouble now? Is it because I ignored you that one time? I said I was sorry. I swe-”

 

“Viktor, shut up. That's not why you're here,” Yakov interrupted, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead in pain. “And you're not in trouble because of what you did. You did the right thing.”

 

“Oh,” Viktor sat back in his seat. “Then why _am_ I here?”

 

“You're here because you got matched with someone.”

 

“A new customer?”

 

“Yes I'm surprised as well. It's been quite a while since someone picked your exact answers,” Yakov folded his arms and placed them on his desk. “Georgi will tell you more about him because of his small interview, but from what I hear, I think this one's going to be interesting.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Well why don't you leave and find out for yourself? I'm just here to fund the plane ticket to NYC.”

 

Viktor sighed. He really wanted to go home and probably sleep for two whole days but a job is a job and he has to take whatever he can get.

 

“Alright then,” Viktor says. He starts to stand up but Yakov gestures for him to sit back down again.

 

“I’m not finished yet. This customer needs you for a wedding. And you know what happens at weddings,” Yakov reminds him. It’s been forever since he’s been assigned to a wedding.

 

It’s one of the rules at Stay Close to Me Escort Services to keep customers at arm's length. It’s also a rule to not take part in any sexual activities unless he’s paid higher than a specific amount. He hates when he’s paired with cruel people who often take advantage of the situation and call the entire service “prostitution with a fancy name”.

 

Despite having a good paying job, he feels like there’s something missing in his life. There’s this little voice in the back of his mind that constantly tells him that he’s meant to do something more in life, something better than this. He hasn’t even bothered to look for someone romantically ever since he took the job at the agency. He’s pretty sure that if he does start looking, people would flee from him immediately because who would want to be with someone who “dates” other people for a job? And especially when they hear about his… extra services. He shivers at the thought.

 

“Viktor, are you listening to me?” Yakov snaps and brings him back to reality.

 

“Sorry Yakov. Can you repeat that?”

 

“I said, be careful at the wedding. Now, get out the hell of here and go talk to Georgi!”

 

“Oh right,” Viktor fumbles and stands up. “I won’t let you down this time.”

 

“Yeah right, you always find a way to let me down anyways,” Yakov says jokingly.

 

Not looking back, he walks next door into Georgi’s office. Viktor was thinking about his nonexistent love life, but he didn’t realize that the most unfortunate person based on their love life is staring right at him. Georgi’s tired blue eyes are torn from his computer screen to look at Viktor. He gives him a small smile and nods in understanding.

 

Georgi isn’t exactly an escort, he’s more of a mission explainer. The video chat that’s given to customers is a time where he takes notes on their appearance and obtains their information. He then informs the escorts of what to expect before they meet their customers. Viktor feels a bit sorry for him, but it was completely his choice and there’s no reason to feel sorry for him.

 

“Hello Viktor,” Georgi says while collecting his papers in attempt to organize them. The man searches for something in the piles and hums part of a song that Viktor’s never heard of before. Once he finds what he’s looking for he takes out two pages with his name on them. “Here you go,” he says then hands the papers to Viktor.

 

The first page is the name of his customer, address, how long he needs an escort for. Then the second page is only three sentences long.

 

**Page 1 - Viktor**

 

**Yuuri Katsuki**

**Male, age 25**

**New York City, NY**

**Booked 5 days - July 19 to July 23**

 

 

**Page 2 - Viktor**

 

**He’s quite adorable.**

**Messy black hair, brown eyes hiding behind blue framed glasses.**

**He’s a bit shy but he’s gorgeous, I don’t know how he didn’t manage to get a date by himself.**

 

“Yuuri Katsuki?” Viktor reads.

 

“Yup.”

 

“He’s Japanese?”

 

“Yup,” he repeats popping the ‘p’. “He’s cute. But it’s too bad I can’t show you a picture of him though.”

 

 _Yeah that’s really too bad._ From this description, this man seems pretty average. But hiring an escort for five days is a bit more expensive than just hiring for one day. He realizes that Yuuri must be desperate, and if he’s as gorgeous as Georgi says he is, then he probably needs more than just a date for this event. He needs comfort and support, and that’s exactly what Viktor plans to give him.

 

He gives a little sigh and says, “Thanks Georgi,” and walks out before the other Russian can say anything else. Viktor folds the papers and puts them in his inner jacket pocket.

 

Even though he’s been an escort since he was 19, he’s only been to three weddings. The first wedding resulted in binge drinking and becoming slightly more drunk than what is legally considered normal. But he’s Russian and he was built to hold his weight in alcohol. The second wedding was when he was 22, and he was escorting a college girl who was overly excited about everything - as it was the first wedding she’s ever been to. She accidentally spilled her drink all over Viktor’s white Gucci dress shirt. He remembered being incredibly mad but he couldn’t remember what happened afterwards. The third wedding was a cousin’s, where he came as a guest and not an escort. It was the first time where someone didn’t have him attached to their arm, but the only problem this time was his family members. They kept hounding him with questions about his job and his personal life. It was so overwhelming that he forced himself to leave the wedding early in order to avoid any more uncomfortable interrogations.

 

After many years of working at the service, he’s learned how to control himself, how to be the perfect gentleman, how to treat people.

 

But this is the first time where he’s ever felt excited. He’s never felt his heart pick up speed at the thought of a name alone. Viktor hurriedly packed up the things that he thinks he needs from his office and before he leaves he says goodbye to Chris and Mila (another skilled escort) and heads to Yakov’s office once more.

 

“Yakov!” He screams loud enough for everyone on this floor to hear. “I need the plane ticket to NYC!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you all like this chapter!

 

“Oh my god. I cannot believe that you actually listened to me for once!” Phichit exclaimed once Yuuri told him about his escort results.

 

“I know, I’m surprised I did it too,” he grins at his best friend.

 

“And he sounds dreamy,” Phichit puts his hands together, places them under his chin, and looks off into the distance dramatically.

 

“Yes, well, I hope he’s as dreamy as he sounds,” Yuuri laughs.

 

“Blue/green eyes that you can swim in? Sign me up!”

 

“Woah, calm down Phich. If you want one so bad, just go to the website and get your own.”

 

“Oh, you’re so protective already and you haven’t even met him yet. Can you imagine in a few days when you’ll meet him in the airport?” he gasps. “It’ll be like love at first sight.”

 

“Phichit, he’s an escort I don’t think he’ll go out and date someone like me,” Yuuri points out. “And you’re going to the wedding with that Korean guy, why do you need an escort?”

 

“I am going with him, I’m just teasing you. And what do you mean ‘someone like you’? Yuuri you’re freakin’ amazing. Whoever you’ll end up with will be very lucky to have you.”

 

“I don’t know Phich,” Yuuri runs his hand through his messy hair. “What if he doesn’t like me?”

 

Phichit stops and stares at him. “Don’t you dare think that way, Yuuri Katsuki. Didn’t you just listen to what I said? If possible, I would date you, but I won’t because you’re like my brother and it would be really weird,” he says making Yuuri laugh. “I’m serious! You’ve got this… adorable lost puppy look that many people find attractive. And it’s not just that! You’re sweet, you’re caring, you have good taste in music and movies, I could go on and on man.”

 

Yuuri chuckles at his friend’s honesty and shyly looks at the ground. “Thanks Phichit. You’re not too bad yourself.”

 

They’re in his office at Black Harbour Publishing, both of them discussing the upcoming event that’s taken over Yuuri’s life completely. Feelings of anticipation and apprehension are bubbling up inside of him. No matter how many times Phichit assures him that he’s gonna be okay, he can’t help but hear a little voice in the back of his mind saying,  _ but what if it’s not gonna be okay? What if something’s gonna happen and you’re gonna make a fool out of yourself and-and-and _ . Endless questions buzz through his mind.

 

No, he can’t afford to think this way now, he’s got a job to do, a mission. He curls his hand into a fist and blocks all invading thoughts from his mind,  _ it will be fine. And I won’t mess up. _

 

“Yuuri! Break time’s over!” Celestino's head pops into his office, interrupting his thoughts. His boss leaves without another word, making it look like he has better things to do rather than manage his workers time. Yuuri looks at Phichit and then shrugs, giving him a look that says ‘we’ll talk later’.

 

They both return back to their positions, Yuuri at his desk reading a manuscript with a red pen in his hand and Phichit next door in his own office making copies of Yuuri’s edits and emailing them to Celestino. The Japanese man starts to read where he left off before his break. 

 

His eyes scan the page but his mind is elsewhere. Shaking his head at the fact that he’s read the same page multiple times but not remembering anything, he stands up and makes himself a coffee in his own little office machine.

 

He then sits back down at his desk with a steaming cup in his hands and opens his laptop to check his email. It looks like there’s something from the Escort Service. He clicks on it.

 

from:  **Stay Close to Me Escort Service** <gpopovich@staycloseescortservice.org>

to: Yuuri Katsuki <ykatsuki@gmail.com>

date: Fri, July 15, 2016 at 1:03 pm

Subject: Mission - seal: Information

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Hi Yuuri,

 

If you remember we spoke on that awkward video chat yesterday, my name is Georgi. But that’s not important. What is important is that I need you know that the exact arrival of your ‘chosen mate’, Viktor, is approximately 12:05 pm at the John F. Kennedy International Airport, gate 106, on Tuesday, July 19th.

 

I gave him your description but based on our past experiences, it’s quite difficult to find our customers just based on my descriptions alone. So I recommend creating a sign with his name or something that would capture his attention so that he knows that you are what ‘he’s looking for’. 

 

I hope this reaches you in time and I wish you the best of luck.

 

Thanks, 

 

Georgi

 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

 

Yuuri will have to pick up Viktor at JFK and then leave by plane to go to California after a few hours. He sits back in his seat and rubs his eyes.  _ Next week is going to be exceptionally long, _ he groans. Yuuri thinks about how he would introduce himself to Viktor when they first meet. It would be quite the introduction too: ‘hi Viktor, I’m Yuuri. I hope you don’t mind. I accidentally told my mother that I have a boyfriend and I’m going to bring him to my friend’s wedding but I actually don’t have one at the moment it was a complete lie. Surprise! I need you to be that boyfriend and I hope that’s okay with you but I had no idea what to do and this was my best option.’ He practically feels the desperation oozing off of him already, so he decides that he’s definitely  _ not _ going to introduce himself that way. Of course, he will eventually tell Viktor exactly what happened but probably not immediately.

 

Georgi said something about a description. How exactly will he know what Viktor looks like? There isn’t even a picture on the website! Flashes of silver graze Yuuri’s memory as he tries to imagine his escort’s appearance. He remembers the minuscule amount of information that he was given during the selection process, ‘devastatingly handsome… short silver hair… eyes that you can swim in.’

 

There’s no use in trying to create a face. The human brain isn’t capable of that kind of processing. So, Yuuri settles for a description alone, hoping that he’ll be able to recognize silver hair and blue/green eyes in a crowd of thousands of people in JFK.

 

 

* * *

 

 

_ Hi. This is Yuuri. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. BEEP _

 

“Hello, Yuuri. This is Viktor Nikiforov. Sorry I didn’t call you earlier, but I just wanted you to know that I got your messages. All five of them. I know you’re nervous, Yuuri. Remember, this is what I get paid for. Stop worrying. I’ll see you at the airport… I can’t wait to meet you.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

_ Three days of waiting is just fine _ , he had said.

 

_ Everything will be fine, _ he had said.

 

The Yuuri Katsuki that said “three days of waiting is just fine” had clearly misinterpreted the information.  _ No, three days is not fine. It’s not fine at all. In fact, this has been one of the worst decisions I have ever made. _

 

After exactly two sleepless nights, his body decided to betray himself. The betrayal resulted in: passing out on his bed for more than twelve hours, waking up at 11 am, and of course, terrified screaming because of the fact that he doesn’t have enough time to get ready and get to the airport on time.

 

With a toothbrush in his mouth and a t-shirt on backwards, Yuuri frantically looks for his sign that he created in his office. He was certain that he'd brought it home, but now the pressure is on and continues to increase as he looks for it everywhere. Thoughts of _, dammit there's no time, where the fuck is it?_ is stuck on repeat and it gives him absolutely no hope of finding it. 

 

He eventually does find the sign that has fallen between the desk and the wall in his bedroom and holds it tightly to his chest. The toothbrush is still in his mouth and his heart is still beating frantically so he goes back in the bathroom to clean himself up as best as he can. Yuuri grabs whatever he thinks is necessary and throws them into his suitcase on the bed. In hindsight, he really should have packed all of this before he found out he was running late. Of course, he’s a professional procrastinator and always leaves important things for the last minute.

 

Yuuri miraculously finishes packing his suitcase and looks at himself in the mirror one last time before he leaves. He looks relatively normal, so he walks out the door feeling a few minutes of confidence. But then that confidence is thrown out the window because he looks at the time: 11:55. Viktor’s plane is supposed to be there at approximately 12:05.  _ Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. How am I supposed to make it there in 10 minutes? _

 

 

* * *

 

 

Yuuri may have run over a few cars in his attempt to get to the the airport on time. New York traffic is the WORST, and he's surprised that no cops pulled him over as Yuuri recreated the Fast and the Furious with his black Prius. He finally made it and refuses to look at the time because if he does, then he'll be even more angry at himself than he already is. Parking his car and leaving his suitcase in the back, he grabs his sign, steps out of the driver's side, makes sure he locks his car, and sprints to JFK'S entrance. 

 

His eyes quickly scan the gate numbers the second he's inside. There's way too many people for Yuuri’s liking, so he may have rudely pushed people out of the way so he can get to where he needs to be. A few workers notice his nervousness so they ask him, “are you okay?”

 

“I'm fine, I'm fine,” Yuuri answers them, stubbornly thinking that he can find the gate on his own. 

 

A crowded airport on a Tuesday makes Yuuri a little uneasy, especially since he's late and has to look for someone very important. He finds an overhead sign that notifies him that he's in the right place and stands right underneath it. He breathes a sigh of relief that quickly gets sucked back in again when he checks his watch. 

 

_ 12:40 _

 

_ Oh shit, I'm late, I’m so late, oh man Viktor’s gonna hate me so much. What if he's waiting somewhere else? How will I find him now? What if he left with someone that's not me? Please forgive me Viktor, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so- _

 

_ “Flight 3078 has been delayed by half an hour and should be arriving very shortly,” _ a woman's voice echoes over the intercom.

 

Yuuri curiously looked around for the list of all the flights coming in and out of JFK. 

 

_ Flight 7073 - 10:10 am from Chicago, IL to New York, NY _

_ Flight 4026 - 11:30 am from New York, NY to Austin, TX _

_ Flight 1013 - 11:45 am from New York, NY to Albuquerque, NM  _

_ Flight 3078 - 12:05 pm from St. Petersburg, FL to New York, NY  _ **_(delayed)_ **

 

He stopped reading when he found what he was looking for. Yuuri was amazed that even though he's incredibly late, Viktor’s plane isn't here yet.  _ So I rushed for nothing?  _ Yuuri thought. _ I wonder why his plane was late? _ That's fine, he'll just ask him why the plane was delayed later, to give them something to talk about. In fact, their other plane leaves for California in a few hours so they have enough time for Yuuri to return his car back home and grab something to eat.

 

His quick thoughts and waking up so late resulted in an intense need for caffeine.  _ Airports have coffee shops, right?  _ Yuuri finds a Starbucks and decides to buy a cold latte as well as something warm for Viktor, just in case his escort wants to drink something after his long flight. Not sure what Viktor would want, he decides to go with what he normally gets: a white chocolate mocha. Yuuri grabs a tray so that he can hold the coffees in one hand and his sign in the other while he waits for Viktor.

 

“ _ Flight 3078 from St. Petersburg, Florida has arrived. Flight 8507 to Boston, Massachusetts is now ready for boarding _ ,” the woman over the intercom alerts Yuuri.

 

He takes a deep breath in and shuffles over to gate 106 to patiently wait for the person that he’s here for. The Japanese man stands right under the gate 106 sign and flips his board over so that Viktor can see that he’s looking for him. He plasters a smile on his face as he looks for someone with silver hair and blue/green eyes. Crowds of people disperse throughout the terminal and Yuuri finds to difficult to breathe. The moment that he’s waiting for is here. It’s finally here and he can’t help but feel his heart beating erratically in his chest.

 

Yuuri hears a dog’s bark in the distance causing him to raise an eyebrow. He knew that JFK is a very pet friendly airport but it still amazes him that anyone can bring their pets to something as incredibly busy as an airport.

 

A large brown poodle runs straight towards him barking happily, instantly transporting Yuuri back to when he was a kid, where Vichann used to run towards him the same way. The poodle surprises Yuuri by sitting down right in front of him, tongue out, panting heavily, and staring up at him with the most adorable puppy-dog eyes.

 

“Makkachin!” a man’s voice registers in his mind as he stands frozen staring at the dog. “I’m sorry about that. My dog can be a little excited.”

 

“That’s okay. I love dogs-” Yuuri stops mid sentence. He looks away from the dog and he finds himself face to face with the most beautiful man in the world.

 

The website really wasn’t exaggerating when they described the man as “devastatingly handsome.” He was more than that, he was the most perfect person that Yuuri has ever encountered in his entire life. His blue/green eyes were definitely something that you can swim in. Not only that, but staring at this man’s eyes alone could cause Yuuri to lose himself in them for hours and never get bored. Perfectly styled silver hair fell gracefully over his left eye, causing Yuuri to break eye contact with the man and stare at the rest of his fantastic facial features. His nose was a perfect slope, his cheekbones were structured high on the man’s face, and his lips. Oh  _ god _ . His lips looked so kissable that Yuuri couldn’t imagine his life without them.

 

The man stood up straighter and looked at him with a smile that damn near broke Yuuri’s heart. “Ah, Yuuri,” he emphasized the ‘u’ in his name, causing Yuuri to internally shiver. There was something so familiar and intimate about his voice. It made Yuuri feel comforted and relaxed. It was definitely the voice that was left behind on his answering machine and it was definitely the voice that was played over and over again until Yuuri had memorized the few words that were spoken. 

 

“I finally found you,” Viktor Nikiforov says pointing to the sign that he forgot he was holding.

 

_ I’m a goner, _ Yuuri thinks. The only thing that he could come up with is, “I found you too.” Which is not that bad, but. Jesus, he couldn’t think straight in the presence of this god.  _ How am I going to spend five whole days with him? I’m going to make a such fool out of myself and he'll be so embarrassed to be with me that he'll probably just quit and leave the wedding early. _

 

Despite all his irrelevant thoughts, Yuuri feels surprisingly comfortable with Viktor, like he can be himself around him. His anxiety is all but forgotten at this point. In fact, he’s even forgotten about the wedding altogether.

 

Viktor gasps causing him to break his thoughts. “Yuuri, you got me coffee?” His blue eyes sparkling as his gaze lands on the tray in Yuuri’s other hand.

 

“Uh, y-yeah. I did. I-I wasn’t sure what you wanted so I got something cold and hot, just in case you didn’t like the other.”

 

“How thoughtful! Thank you, Yuuri!” he grabs the hot white chocolate mocha and smiles at him, making Yuuri’s insides melt. Viktor’s lips curled around the cup, making eye contact with Yuuri as he sips the coffee. His head tilts back, closes his eyes, and his throat moves slightly when he gulps the liquid. Yuuri has never wanted to be a coffee cup more in his life. When the man finished his drink, the sound that was made was so sinful, it sent blood straight to Yuuri’s privates.

 

_ Yup. I’m a goner. _

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So, my dear Yuuri. What are we going to do? I haven’t been to New York in  _ ages _ ,” Viktor says ruffling Makkachin’s fur from his shotgun seat in Yuuri’s car.

 

Yuuri decides to ignore the way his heart nearly leap out of his chest at the fact that Viktor called him, ‘my dear’. 

 

“We’re not staying here for very long,” Yuuri informs him. “I’m driving the car back to my house and we’re gonna get a taxi to come back here.”

 

Viktor pouts making his bottom lip stick out. “You mean that I’m not going to be able to rest for a bit?”

 

Yuuri bites his own lip and tries not to think about how Viktor looks at him with big needy eyes. “I mean, you can rest up for a bit while I drive. But I thought you might be hungry. S-so we can go eat somewhere and then come back here completely full for our six hour flight to LA. If you want?”

 

“Wow. Yuuri you're such a gentleman. I’m amazed at how you think for me. And yes, you’re right, I am a bit hungry. We can go wherever you like, as long as we go somewhere that Makkachin can come as well.” Viktor stops petting his dog and turns around in seat getting ready to put his seatbelt on. Almost as if he senses the other man’s stare, he looks at Yuuri and gives him the most dazzling smile.

 

Yuuri can’t help but notice that Viktor says his name in almost every single sentence. He smiles back at his escort as he starts his car. “I know just the place.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Yuuri finds himself driving back home like it’s muscle memory. He expected Viktor to fall asleep next to him, but instead, he finds him doing quite the opposite. Viktor’s wide awake, sitting straight up in his seat, and looks at everything outside of his window like he’s a child seeing the world for the first time. His eagerness is almost contagious as they drive past his house and head towards a small Japanese restaurant that's a few blocks away.

 

He parks his car in the parking lot and turns his head to look at Viktor.

 

The other man looks surprised at the sudden stop. Glancing out the window, he reads the words above the hidden roof. “Chihoko restaurant?” he attempts to pronounce.

 

“Yeah, it’s my favorite place to eat,” Yuuri tells him simply. He steps out of the car and encourages his escort to do the same. 

 

“Okay Yuuri,” Viktor steps out of the car and opens the way for his dog. “Come on Makka,” he orders. The dog pounces out of the Prius wagging his tail happily. Makkachin freely walks around sniffing everything in his path, leaving no stone untouched.

 

“He doesn't need a leash?” Yuuri asks.

 

“Oh no. Makkachin doesn't need one. He's very _ very _ well trained,” Viktor taps his thigh and his dog trots over without another word. “After all. He has a great teacher,” he says proudly while pointing to himself.

 

“That's amazing!” Yuuri exclaimed. “I used to have a poodle that looked just like Makkachin only he was smaller.”

 

“Really? What was his name?” Viktor says walking next to Yuuri on his right side.

 

Yuuri pauses. Vichann is a Japanese nickname for the name Viktor… it's kind of ironic that now Yuuri has another Viktor in his life. He debates about telling Viktor his dog’s name because of the similarity. But he decides to just go for it, hoping that Viktor won't see the resemblance. “His name was Vichann and he was the cutest dog ever.”

 

“Cuter than Makkachin?” the other man teases, either not noticing the resemblance between names or ignoring it completely.

 

“They are both equally cute. Dogs are just the best.”

 

“I completely and wholeheartedly agree with you Yuuri,” Viktor says with a smile.

 

Once inside the restaurant, Yuuri picks a table that he so often sits at with Phichit, it's become sort of like a tradition where they  _ have _ to sit there whenever they go to Chihoko restaurant. Makkachin sits down on the floor next to them, almost like he's their bodyguard, with his head held high, nose constantly sniffing the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen, and a tail thumping the against the ground. 

 

A waiter named Guang-Hong recognizes Yuuri as a regular and immediately approaches the boys table. 

 

“Hey Yuuri!”

 

“Hi Guang Hong, how's it going?” Yuuri smiles up at his waiter.

 

“Pretty good. Still working on my classes and working here. Hopefully this job will help me pay off my college tuition,” Guang Hong tells him. He notices Viktor sitting across from him and remembers. “Oh, I'm sorry sir, I got a little carried away. I haven't seen Yuuri in what feels like forever,” he laughs.

 

“No, that's okay. You can speak for however long you want. I don't mind,” Viktor assures him.

 

It's often said that you can tell a lot about a person based on the way they treat their servers. Yuuri used to be a waiter in his college days too, so he understands the struggle that comes with working as a server. The constant everyday reminders with making sure everything that's brought out is correct, making sure it's given to the right people, dealing with obnoxious customers, dealing with exceptionally rude people who make it their life mission to put you down because they see you as less than them. 

 

Yuuri’s had his fair share of dealing with all kinds of people. He especially loves the nice ones that actually acknowledge you, look you in the eyes and say, 'it’s ok’ if you accidentally mess up, and ‘please’ and ‘thank you’. It's really common sense to be nice to people. The fact that Viktor is so polite with Guang-Hong already, makes Yuuri create an entire list of positives based on the decision that he's made. He starts to like Viktor a little more than what he's supposed to and he can't help but be more excited to spend so much time with his escort.

 

“Guang-Hong,” Yuuri looks at his waiter and smiles. “Can I have two Katsudon and two waters, please?”

 

“Of course, right away Yuuri!” his waiter does a cute little bow as he backs up, never turning his back on his customers. 

 

Viktor turns to looks at him. “You’re a regular here aren’t you?”

 

Yuuri nods. “Me and my friend Phichit come here all the time, my favorite food is the Katsudon. I always get it whenever restaurants offer it so that I can compare it to my mother’s cooking.”

 

“Ah, your mother must be a really good cook then,” Viktor says placing his elbows on the table and rests his chin on his palm.

 

Guang-Hong returns with two glasses of water and places them in front of the couple. “I’ll be back soon with your food,” he assures them and quickly moves to another table to take their orders.

 

“Yeah. My mother’s cooking is very good,” Yuuri continues their conversation. “My family runs a very successful hot springs resort in LA that’s complete with food and a place to sleep. It’s quite beautiful over there actually.”

 

“I remember you said that we’re going to California earlier, is that where we’re going? To the hot springs?” Viktor asks.

 

_ Oh right, he still needs to tell Viktor about why he’s here. _ He completely forgot that this is Viktor’s job and he’s not a friend that Yuuri can spend time with. “Oh, no. We’re not going to the hotsprings. We’re going to an old friend of mine’s wedding. Actually they’re both old friends of mine,” Yuuri lowers his voice and leans on the table. “I haven’t seen them or my parents in six years.”

 

“Really? Why?” Viktor asks in a equally hushed voice, copying Yuuri’s movements.

 

Yuuri quickly flushes at the sudden closeness of the other man. “Because,” he hesitates.  _ Should he really tell his beautiful stranger about his problems with his family? Viktor deserves to know if he’s going to accompany Yuuri to a wedding. They’re going to ask him questions and if he’s in the dark then the lie wouldn’t be realistic. _ “Because, I wanted to live in the city, a sort of escape from the life that was practically already planned for me. So, I got a scholarship to Detroit University and lived there for four years getting my degree.

 

“Afterwards me and my best friend Phichit - who was my roommate at the time - started looking for jobs at Publishing companies and now we both work at Black Harbour Publishing.”

 

“Ah, I see. So you're an editor?”

 

“Yes, and I have been ever since.”

 

“If you don't mind me asking, Yuuri,” Viktor moved his palm from his chin to rest on the table in between both of them. There's this sparkle in his eyes as he asks the question that Yuuri has been dreading to answer this whole time, “Why am I here?”

 

The Japanese man takes a deep breath in and tries to carefully choose his words. “Almost a week ago, my mother called me wanting to make sure I would come to the wedding. Now, I'm reminding you that I haven't been home-” he stopped himself. He doesn't consider the lovely city of Los Angeles his home, he doesn't even consider New York his home either. For now, Yuuri is completely lost in terms of where he belongs and how he feels. He looks at Viktor and sees hope in the man's eyes, something that he hasn't felt in a while. His escort motions him to continue, patiently awaiting Yuuri’s answer to his very important question.

 

“I haven't visited,” Yuuri rephrased, “in forever and I rarely call because I've been so busy with work. My mom asked how everything is going and I couldn't help but pray that she wouldn't answer anymore questions because of this ever growing guilt I feel for not calling and not having a good enough reason for not calling. Then, she dropped the big question, asking if I'm seeing anyone. I didn't want to break her heart by saying I didn't, so I lied and told her I did. In fact, I'm even going to bring him to the wedding so she can see him.” Yuuri continues as Viktor watches him intently, his expression unchanging. “Phichit recommended the website and now, I guess, that's why we're both here.”

 

Once Yuuri finished telling him exactly what happened about a week ago, Guang-Hong returned with two steaming bowls of Katsudon and two pairs of chopsticks. “Is there anything else I can get you two?” Guang-Hong asks looking at both of them.

 

“No, everything is perfect Guang-Hong. Thank you,” Viktor tells their waiter. 

 

Guang-Hong bows again and backs away saying, “if you need anything, please let me know.”

 

Viktor turns to look at Yuuri again, taking the chopsticks and cleanly splits them in half. “So,” he begins. “What exactly do you want me to be to you Yuuri? A boyfriend? A lover?”

 

Yuuri furiously blushes at the thought that this beautiful man will pose as his boyfriend for everyone at the wedding to see. “I just want you to stay who you are, Viktor,” he calmly reassures his escort as he rests both of his hands on the table.

 

Viktor stares at Yuuri in surprise. Then, he softly smiles and shakes his head looking at his pork cutlet bowl. “It looks like you have a deal, Yuuri. And I won’t let you off so easily,” he makes eye contact with the other man and reaches out to grab both of the other man’s hands. “That’s my way of showing my love.”

 

Yuuri gulps. He feels bit like one of those cliche romance stories, because the moment their hands touched, he felt butterflies flutter in his stomach and an electric current run through their joined hands. “Thank you for doing this for me,” he flushes at their proximity.

 

“Anything for you, Yuuri,” Viktor lets go of their joined hands and grabbed the chopsticks, getting ready to eat. “This looks amazing by the way.”

 

“Yes, it's really delicious,” Yuuri says relieved at the sudden change of topic. “I recommend eating a bit of the pork at first and then saving the rest for last, so that the best flavors would be the start and end of the meal.”

 

“Okay. I'll try that,” Viktor pinches the pork with his chopsticks and brings it up to his lips. Yuuri gets a strong sense of deja vu as he watches Viktor experimentally taste the food. The minute it's in his mouth his eyes widen and he makes that sinful sound again. Like a child trying something they like for the first time, Viktor eagerly stuffs his face with the Katsudon deliciousness. Trying to talk around the rice, Viktor says something unintelligible.

 

“What?” Yuuri asks him, smiling with amusement.

 

Viktor chews for a second, then swallows. “This is amazing! This must be what God eats!” He happily takes another bite of the pork. Putting his chopsticks down he rips part of the pork with his hands and gives a piece to Makkachin. “Because you've been such a good boy this past flight,” he tells the dog and makes Yuuri laugh. Viktor then goes back to eating his food with a sparkle in his eyes.

 

“Speaking of flights, why did yours get delayed?” Yuuri remembers.

 

Viktor stopped chewing and swallowed with a grimace. “I'm so sorry you had to wait so long. I would have come earlier but the whole incident was my fault entirely.”

 

“Really, why was it your fault?” Yuuri asks curiously while taking a bite out of his own Katsudon.

 

Viktor doesn't answer right away. He finishes eating until his bowl is empty. Then, he pushes it out of the way making room for his folded arms. There's a few grains of rice scattered around his mouth. 

 

“You've got something,” Yuuri informs him as he points to his own mouth.

 

Viktor finds them immediately and licks his rice covered fingers.  _ Oh fuck, not again, _ Yuuri thinks about this very dangerous environment that he's currently in. It's like Victor’s testing him. Like he knows exactly what he does to him. Torturing him with his gorgeousness and confidence and leaving nothing behind. He starts to think,  _ did I choose the wrong person? Because Viktor is tempting me so much, it's almost as if I chose the confident and flirtatious personality type. _

 

Viktor smiles and opens his mouth to speak. Makkachin finds that exact moment to bark. “Yes Makkachin, this is about you,” he tells his dog, making Yuuri curious for what he has to say. “Back in Florida, the people in charge of the flight wouldn't let me bring Makkachin with me. They said that if I was going to bring him, I would have to put him in a cage and that cage would be where they put all the cargo items. 

 

“Now, Makkachin is very attached to me. If he's left alone for a long time he starts to get depressed and I didn't want to do that to him. So, I fought for his right to sit next to me on the plane. It was an argument that lasted for what felt like a really long time. Up until that point only service dogs are allowed to sit with the passengers. But now,” he pauses the story to pet his dog and continues, “now Makkachin - and Makkachin only - can fly with us.”

 

“That's why the flight was delayed? Because of Makkachin?” Yuuri asks. Viktor nodded proudly. “That's the best reason for a flight to be delayed!” he said while laughing.

 

Viktor grinned. “I'm glad you think so.”

 

“I thought there was something wrong with the plane!” Yuuri continued. “You must have gotten into a lot of trouble if you delay an  _ entire _ flight.”

 

“No, not so much trouble,” Viktor tells him truthfully. “But it was worth it.”

 

The boys smile at each other. Yuuri continues to eat but devotes all his attention to the beautiful man sitting in front of him. When Viktor talks about his dog, his eyes light up completely, he passionately tells Yuuri about the day he got him and how his life has changed ever since.

 

“He was a gift from my uncle/boss, Yakov. He always says I look incredibly lonely whenever I go to work or come back to an empty house. For my 20th birthday, a couple of my co-workers set up a surprise party for me. Surprisingly, it was the first birthday party I’ve ever been a part of.”

 

“Really?” Yuuri asks.

 

“Yes. I don’t have many friends. I’m very selective,” Viktor tells him truthfully.

 

“Really?” Yuuri repeats. “I don’t have a lot of friends either.”

 

“Wow, it’s amazing how similar we are,” Viktor points out and Yuuri nods with a smile. “Anyways. I remember when Yakov approached me and said that it’s essential for me to open my present first. There was a large moving box, and my curiosity got the best of me so I opened it immediately. Out popped out my Makkachin! He was wearing a red bow around his neck and he was a bit smaller than he is now. He’s the best present I have ever gotten.” Yuuri tries to imagine a young Viktor seeing his dog for the first time. He smiles at the thought of Viktor hugging Makkachin and Makkachin giving him kisses and wagging his tail happily. 

 

“It’s hard sometimes,” he continues, his eyes looking sad. “I go out often because of my job and often come home very late. But whenever I get the chance, I spend as much time with him as I can.”

 

“That’s why you brought him with you,” Yuuri realizes. “Because you knew that you would be gone for a while and you didn’t want to leave him alone.”

 

Viktor gives him a sad smile. “To tell you the truth, I wasn’t going to go to California with you. But then there was something that made me change my mind.”

 

Yuuri’s heart nearly stopped at Viktor’s sudden honesty. He looked down in embarrassment and he asked quietly, “What made you change your mind?”

 

“I believe it has something to do with you. Something in your voice when you left those messages. When I saw you for the first time.”

 

“Desperation?” Yuuri asks giving a nervous laugh.

 

Viktor shakes his head. “Hope.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

They drive back to Yuuri’s apartment in comfortable silence. Eyes on the road, he thinks about what this weekend has in store for them. It's difficult to predict what's going to happen on the other side of the world so he tries not to think about it too much. After all, this time Yuuri is not alone. He has Viktor, his handsome escort who somehow managed to bring out the best in Yuuri only a couple of minutes after meeting. He figures if it was so easy to open up to him so quickly, he and Viktor can do anything.

 

Yuuri breathes a sigh of relief as he pulls into the driveway and unbuckles his seatbelt. “We should get going soon,” he tells Viktor. “I'm gonna call a cab.”

 

Viktor wordlessly smiles at him, making him feel even more at ease than before. He steps out of the car as well, taking out his suitcases and Makkachin from the backseat. Yuuri moves to take his own suitcase out of the trunk but is immediately stopped by another hand. 

 

“Here, let me,” Viktor offers, pulling out Yuuri’s suitcase for him.

 

It seems like no matter what he does, Yuuri can't stop himself from blushing in Viktor’s presence. “Thank you,” he says in a small voice. He clears his throat and opens his cell, looking for the number to call a taxi driver. 

 

They don't have to wait for very long because a yellow cab drives around the corner and stops right in front of them. Yuuri motions for the driver to pop the trunk so they can put their luggage in. Once everything's in order and the boys are in the passenger seats, the driver turns around to ask, “Where’re you boys headed off to?”

 

“JFK airport, please,” Viktor answers for him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Yuuri, what are you doing?”

 

“I'm sitting in our seats?” Yuuri looked at Viktor with his eyebrow raised. 

 

“No, no, no. We're not sitting in economy. Come on get up,” Viktor insisted. “I refuse to sit in economy. Even if the seats are paid for by your friends.” 

 

“Then where are we going?”

 

“I believe you already know the answer to your own question, darling.”

 

This just made Yuuri tun even more red. “Viktor,” he warned.

 

“What,  _ kotyonok _ ? We're supposed to be in a relationship, remember?” He takes Yuuri by the hand and leads him to the front of the airplane’s cabin with Makkachin hot on their heels. 

 

Viktor looks back at Yuuri and sees him look around with his mouth hanging open. This may as well been the first time in Viktor’s life where he feels different. He feels brand new, like he can do anything. Multiple thoughts run through his mind as he guides Yuuri to their seats in first class.

 

“Courtesy of Stay Close to Me Escort Services,” Viktor announces as he looks at Yuuri’s amazed expression.

 

“Work must be  _ crazy _ ,” Yuuri utters.

 

Viktor’s lips hitch up in a smile. He watches as Yuuri sits down in the large seat in front of him, feeling the smooth fabric of the blanket that’s laid out for him, closing his eyes at the texture. 

 

Not once, in fact, not even in his lifetime, has he ever been attracted to someone the way he’s attracted to Yuuri. Considering his line of work, he finds it very difficult to differentiate between whether or not this is his professional aptitude or his emotional need to reach out and touch the beautiful man in front of him. When Yuuri smiles at him, Viktor feels his heart flutter as he smiles back.

 

He wants to bury his face in a pillow and scream for the next few hours. More than that, he wants to stare at Yuuri and memorize each line and every curve of his body. He wants to soothe him with gentle caresses and smooth kisses all over his -

 

_ Goddammit.  _

 

Viktor shakes his head and curses at himself, allowing him to think this way for someone he just met. Someone who he has to escort. Someone who’s paying him to do this.  _ Ugh _ . He hates this surprising turn of events. How Yuuri somehow managed to enter his life through this dark time and he can’t help but be grateful. Even if it is just for a few days. 

 

This has been simultaneously the worst and best decision of his life.

 

“Viktor?” he hears a quiet voice coming from the seat in front of him.

 

“Yes, solnyshko?”

 

“Thank you. For doing this for me,” Yuuri says slurring his words. 

 

Viktor pokes his head over the back of Yuuri’s seat that he immediately regrets. The Japanese man’s eyes gently flutter shut, and Viktor feels himself start to fall even more for the sleeping beauty in front of him.

 

“Of course, my Yuuri,” Viktor stands and wraps the smooth blanket over the sleeping figure. “Anything for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find my tumblr [here:](http://infinite-wonders.tumblr.com/) if you want to come say hi or something :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was a bit late, this past week was really busy and my goal was to write 5 thousand words. I may have gone slightly overboard and wrote over 7 thousand. Hopefully you guys like it!
> 
> I'd also like to say thank you to deeyosa for drawing a few scenes from last chapter. I love it so much and you can find it [on twitter here](https://twitter.com/_deeyosa/status/881956318621212672) or [on tumblr here](https://deeyosa.tumblr.com/post/162577238984/youre-gonna-fly-away-glad-youre-goin-my-way-i). Check out her other stuff because she's freaking amazing!

 

 

Yuuri snaps awake at the feeling of something wet rubbing against the right side of his face. He opens his eyes to find a big brown fluff staring back at him with his tongue out and mouth curled in a smile that all dogs seem to have. Yuuri wiped his face and reached out to pet the panting dog that disrupted him from his sleep. He threads his fingers through Makkachin’s soft fur and thinks about his teenage years where he would fall asleep listening to Vichann’s steady heartbeat.

 

He takes a moment to observe his surroundings and gather himself. _Oh, right. I’m on a plane and I’m surprisingly comfortable?_ It’s a fantastic alternative flying first class as compared to his economic method of air travel. A few hours ago, his oversized seat engulfed him the second he sat down.

 

“Ah, good morning Yuuri,” he hears a familiar voice say taking him out of his thoughts. _Oh right,_ the devastatingly handsome escort is sitting behind him probably bored out of his mind because Yuuri was asleep for the whole journey. Yuuri turns to peek over his seat and finds Viktor in a white dress shirt, a charcoal waistcoat, and a black tie looking completely gorgeous and completely out of his league.

 

“Did you sleep well?” his escort asks, uncrossing his legs and placing his champagne glass on the table beside the window.

 

Yuuri feels his breath hitch in his throat. “Yeah,” he squeaks and slides back into his seat in embarrassment. He glances around, finding himself feeling incredibly disarranged in his seat. Yuuri rubs his face and takes out his phone. Panicking, he turns on the front facing camera to see if he looks as deformed as he feels. Sure enough, he does. He groans audibly and buries his face in his hands. Makkachin trots back to his owner and curls up at his feet, giving a loud huff when his head falls to the ground.

 

He sits up from his slump and stretches feeling exhausted, despite the fact that he took the longest plane nap ever. The plane slows and lowers altitude, indicating all passengers to prepare for landing. The seatbelt light turns off and the captain’s voice is heard from the speakers overhead. Of course, Yuuri isn’t paying any attention to the captain’s voice as he releases himself from his seat once they’ve landed. He stands, wobbling a little as his regains his balance after hours of not being in use.

 

Yuuri finds himself face-to-chest with his escort as Viktor reaches for their suitcases in their overhead lockers. He pulls out Yuuri’s navy blue backpack and hands it to Yuuri despite the other man’s protests.

 

“Viktor, you don’t need to do that. I can-”

 

“It’s ok, Yuuri. This is my job, it’s all a part of what you signed up for, remember?” Viktor reminds him. Yuuri bites his tongue to prevent himself from saying anything in response. This _is_ what he’s signed up for, he tells himself as he watches Viktor gather the rest of their belongings.

 

“We should go somewhere so I can get changed too,” Yuuri says instead while fidgeting with his backpack straps. “You know, before we meet my family?” Viktor looks fantastic, with his slicked back hair, his white dress shirt hugging every inch of his upper body, don’t even get Yuuri started on the charcoal waistcoat, and his black tie is well adjusted so that he gives the public a peek of his exposed throat. Meanwhile, Yuuri’s in sweatpants and a drool stained shirt from his nap on the flight. There’s nothing wrong with sweatpants on a flight but he highly doubts that his parents want to see him in this type of clothing after so many years. He wants to make a good first impression. Or more realistically, a good second impression… if that makes sense.

 

“What do you mean?” Viktor asks as they walk out of the plane and into the airport, wheeling his suitcase to a stop.

 

“I mean I should probably wear something a lot nicer than sweatpants, don’t you think? We should probably go to a store with a changing room,” Yuuri suggests. He could change in an airport bathroom but he needs to show a little class here, and he needs a full length mirror.

 

“Okay,” Viktor says, pulling his luggage back to movement. Makkachin sniffs anything and everything in his path, but he never goes further than his master, always at his heels. Yuuri stops for a moment and watches as his escort moves ahead. _He really is beautiful,_ Yuuri thinks, _even if he does something as simple as walk in the middle of an airport._

 

Viktor turns and opens his mouth to say something but closes it immediately and looks around with a frantic look on his face. The minute he sees Yuuri his body sort of relaxes and he sighs in relief.

 

“I started to get nervous and thought you left without me,” Viktor tells him.

 

“Now, why would I do that?”

 

Viktor shakes his head and ignores the question. “You're not gonna leave my side, ok?” There's a strange sense of protectiveness in his voice, almost as if he thinks that Yuuri would disappear at any moment.

 

He assures his escort with a nod and a shy smile. They now walk side by side and make their way out of the airport. Feeling a small boost of confidence, Yuuri is hit by the classic California heat wave that he has long since forgotten making him, for once in his life, miss New York.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Viktor sits outside of the fitting room and flips through a GQ magazine. He's been to California many times before, in fact, it’s the most common place he's been to for his escort services. He knows his way around and what places to go. The closest place with multiple luxurious stores was definitely Melrose Avenue. Currently, they're in a Burberry, he has a friend who works there that can help them out.

 

Sara Crispino, a genius in fashion for both men and women and sister of one of his co-workers, offered to help out Yuuri with his struggles. Viktor watches as he tried on multiple outfits, constantly questioning himself on his appearance. Today, Viktor has seen at least 15 different yet gorgeous outfits on Yuuri and yet the Japanese man didn't like a single one. They were either uncomfortable or not perfect enough or, according to Yuuri,'too much’.

 

Yuuri’s adorable blue-framed glasses are off and placed in his backpack for safe keeping. Instead of squinting the whole time, Yuuri’s glasses have been replaced with clear contacts… and Viktor just can’t get enough of this version of Yuuri. He looks like a completely different person than the one he met a couple hours ago in the airport. This sexy version of Yuuri is enough to make Viktor fall to the ground and beg for mercy. But apparently, Yuuri can’t see what Viktor sees.

 

He’s had enough of this beautiful man thinking that he doesn't look fantastic in these expensive yet gorgeous clothes. “You think it looks like you're trying too hard, don't you?”

 

Yuuri nods, shuffling his feet under Viktor’s incessant gaze. “I want to look like we fit but not like we're trying to hard to look like we fit, you get me?”

 

Viktor flips the magazine closed and stands. He approaches Yuuri and places his hands on both of Yuuri’s shoulders. He lowers his voice so that only the other man can hear. “I’ll tell you a secret Yuuri. If you look people in the eye, they're not even gonna notice what you have on.”

 

He watches as Yuuri shivers at his warm breath and their proximity. The man looks overwhelmed and completely mesmerized at him. Viktor smiles and goes to sit back down where he was before. Without another word, Yuuri retreats back to the fitting room and shuts the door completely.

 

Viktor opens the magazine again and waits until Yuuri comes out again. “You know, Yuuri,” he calls again, talking through the closed door. “I know this is very important for you. You should know that… you're a handsome man and you've got everything in the world going for you. I couldn't care less what you have on.” He hears a huff coming from behind the door.

 

“Don't patronize me,” Yuuri says as he emerges from the fitting room sporting a turquoise shirt with black and white stripes varying different lengths and different shades of blue in them along with a navy blue blazer and dark grey pants. “I feel like crap but I want to look hot while doing it.” He stands in front of Viktor with his hands on his hips. “What do you think?”

 

“Mission accomplished,” Viktor agrees.

 

“Really?” Yuuri moves to the three mirrors, where his three reflections look back at him nervously.

 

Sara returns with a couple new shirts in her arms and her eyes travel up and down Yuuri’s body. She makes a noise of agreement and says, “Yes, I quite like that one too. You definitely look amazing. And you have pretty good taste in fashion,” she pauses to flip her hair dramatically over her shoulder. “If I do say so myself.”

 

Yuuri smiles bashfully and models in front of the mirror, shifting back and forth nervously. His smile drops and faces Viktor. “Don't get too attached,” he says, pointing a finger at him and sprints to the fitting room once more.

 

Viktor chuckles and directs his attention to the magazine. Makkachin is at his feet huffing deep breaths of air every time Yuuri retreats into the room. The dog is obviously bored and there's nothing to do here because dogs aren't allowed in these types of stores. Makka has to be on his best behavior.

 

“I really liked the black dress shirt,” Sara says to Viktor dreamily.

 

“I'll let him know,” Viktor says looking at a magazine article with pictures of Chris Pine on both pages. Something about the upcoming Star Trek Beyond movie that doesn’t faze Viktor as much as it should. He doesn’t mind looking at the pictures though, after all, that’s his favorite part of looking through magazines anyway.

 

Yuuri opens the door once more and this time he's wearing the same blue blazer as before but with a sky blue button up tucked inside white dress pants paired with a brown belt. He does a little twirl and lands on his feet facing Viktor.

 

He gives Yuuri a hum of approval.

 

“Hmm, nice outfit? Or _hmm?_ A sight for sore eyes?”

 

“Both,” Viktor answers.

 

Yuuri looks at Sara for approval. She nods and fans herself, “definitely gorgeous.”

 

“We’ll take it,” he tells Sara but has his eyes on Yuuri. “And I really liked that striped shirt, _kotyonok._ ” He watches as the man flushes under his gaze and disappears again to gather the rest of his clothes from the fitting room. He quietly chuckles to himself at Yuuri’s constant blush on his soft-looking cheeks. The fact that he’s the reason for Yuuri’s blush gives him a sense of pride.

 

He keeps reminding himself that the only reason he’s here is to help his customer. He should try to keep Yuuri at arm’s length, like the rules of the escort service states. But no matter how many times that thought pops up, he stubbornly refuses to listen to it, and puts extra faith in himself that he’s a skilled, professional escort and he’s not the type to give into temptations. _This is just a job. You can get through this. Control yourself Viktor. It’s not like you to feel this way about a customer. Try to ignore the way your heart beats faster when he smiles at you. You can get through this. You can do this. You can do this. You can-_

 

“Are you ready to go, Viktor?” the angelic voice asks, bringing him out of his intrusive thoughts. He looks up at Yuuri and sees him in the striped shirt and blazer that he loved looking at so much. _Fuck. Fuck. fUCK. How am I able to ignore the way my heart beats when he looks so beautiful?_ His thoughts change from doubtful to, _fuck it._ He stands from his seat, brushes at his thighs, and leaves the GQ magazine on the table for the next customer.

 

“I’m ready darling,” he gives Yuuri another one of his dazzling smiles. “Let’s go.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Being in Los Angeles is so familiar yet so foreign for Yuuri. There’s so many childhood memories here and yet he doesn’t remember very much about them. The memories are blurry and unrecognizable, almost as if he was never here. In fact, even his memories in Detroit and New York are a blur, like he’s been hit in the back of his head and can’t remember a thing. He feels lost, like he doesn’t belong anywhere worth remembering. So when Viktor asks what his childhood was like, Yuuri freezes.

 

He tells him very little. “I used to skate. There was a rink a couple of blocks away from my house, I used to go there all the time and skate to clear my head.” He doesn’t skate anymore, though. The sound of blades against the ice still ringing in his mind despite the fact that he hasn’t touched the ice since he moved to Detroit. If he continued with skating, things would be so much different, there’s no telling how far he would have been able to go if he just stuck with it competitively. It’s yet another regret that’s added on to the ever-growing guilt he feels in his life.

 

“Do you want to skate again? To clear your mind?” Viktor asks gently, almost as if he knows this is a sensitive subject, he treads lightly over the new ice that has emerged since the moment they got here.

 

Yuuri looks at him and shakes his head no. “I would, but I haven’t skated since I was 18. I’m quite a bit out of practice.”

 

“I could go with you,” Viktor offers. “I could skate by your side, but I’m afraid I’m as out of practice as you are and would do more harm than good.”

 

Yuuri laughs at his offer. “Thank you, Viktor. But maybe later, when we don’t have to deal with parties and family members and such,” he promises.

 

The silver haired man grabs a hold of Yuuri’s hand, gently threading their fingers together in a form of comfort. “What is your family like?” Viktor asks rubbing his thumb in circles along the back of Yuuri’s hand. It’s a very intimate gesture that simultaneously relaxes him and causes his heart rate to spike.

 

Not letting go of their joined hands, Yuuri takes a deep breath. “You know those families where everyone’s out of their minds but at the end of the day, they’re your family, so you still love them?” Viktor nods, his blue eyes studying him closely. “Yeah, mine’s not like that. The out of their minds part, I mean.” A perfect silver eyebrow shoots up, complete with a questioning look from Viktor. “My mom and dad are really nice. Like many parents, they want what’s best for me and are very supportive of my choices… even if it means that I wouldn’t see them after so many years. They’ve been together since they were in high school and have been inseparable ever since. I told you about the Hot Springs, right?”

 

“Right,” Viktor agrees.

 

“That was my father’s idea, my mom added the restaurant. Then there’s my older sister, Mari, she’s… well, she’s the epitome of an older sibling. Always teasing, always protective, but always there. There’s Minako, who’s not related by blood but is family just the same. She’s very energetic and she’s older than my mom - they both look very, _very_ young for their ages. Minako was my dance teacher when I was younger. As for the others, there’s not much to say because I don’t even remember them.” Yuuri watches as Viktor looks away, appearing to be lost in thought with a small smile tugging on his gorgeous lips.

 

For some reason, he doesn’t feel as nervous to meet his family anymore. Telling Viktor about them has changed his feelings of dread into feelings of anticipation, a feeling of yearning pulling in his gut, to get reach out for what he selfishly yet accidentally destroyed. And when he looks at Viktor, he can’t help but think that the man is nice enough to do this for him. Whether he’s actually nice, or if it’s just for an act, he can’t help but be grateful that Viktor is by his side, helping him through an event that he would never be able to accomplish alone.

 

They step inside the hotel where a small welcome cocktail party is being held for the wedding. Yuuri shoots Viktor another sideways glance, seeing that his escort looks completely in control of the situation despite the fact that he has no idea who these people even are. He takes control and asserts dominance the second he steps in the room. Makkachin, as always, is hot on their heels and his head is held up high, refusing to give into the temptation of sniffing everything in his path. Grateful for both Viktor and his dog, Yuuri takes a deep breath, already hearing the classy jazz music that escapes from the hotel’s lounge.

 

“Wait here,” Viktor tells him and lets go of Yuuri’s arm. The man walks over to the front desk and says something to the lady that Yuuri can’t hear. Whatever Viktor said must have been funny because she giggled behind her hand and gave him a slip of paper, motioning for a bellhop to approach them. The bellhop comes and takes Viktor’s suitcase in one smooth motion. He comes over to Yuuri and takes his backpack.

 

“It’s only temporary sir,” the bellhop tells him and trolleys away their stuff without another word.

 

Viktor tells the woman something else that made her laugh, then waves at her and walks straight for Yuuri. He grabs Yuuri's hand and brings it to his lips as if to make a statement to the woman behind the desk, but she’s not paying attention. She’s back to typing away at her computer screen, still giggling at whatever Viktor said to her.

 

“What did you tell her?” Yuuri curiously asked while trying to memorize the quick graze of Viktor’s lips against his knuckles.

 

Viktor shrugged, “It’s not important, darling.” He whistles at Makkachin, who quickly comes over to his owner. “I hope you don’t mind, Makka. You’re going to stay with that woman over there, okay?” The dog cocks his head to the side and Viktor guides him over to the front desk. “Now be a good boy for me, can you promise me that?”

 

A quiet bark comes from the chocolate poodle which makes Viktor grin at his dog. “I’m so glad that I trained you so well.” He takes pride in his dog’s obedience and fully trusts Makkachin. The woman at the desk smiles at Viktor once more and pets Makkachin behind the ears.

 

“Good luck!” she waves, then her eyes glue back to the computer screen.

 

And Viktor, being the gentleman that he is, notices a stray strand of dark hair that has fallen out of Yuuri’s slicked back hold. He uses the hand that’s not holding Yuuri’s to smooth back a piece of hair to it’s original spot. He laughs when it stubbornly bounces back. “Are you okay, Yuuri?” he asks, his voice a comfort that gives Yuuri a bit more confidence than before.

 

Yuuri nods and squeezes their joined hands once. They walk side by side, their formal and classy clothes making them look like a power couple about to take on the world and anything that comes in their way. They’re just about to step into the hotel’s foyer where the party is taking place when Yuuri stops and uses his other hand to clutch his chest. A sudden wave of doubt is rushing into him and he finds it difficult to breathe.

 

This is the moment he has been dreading since the minute he received the invitation in the mail. Right now, Yuuri is about to step into a situation where he only has two options. Option number one: stay and suffer through the fact that his family members will ask him multiple questions about why he hasn’t been ‘home’. Option number two: run away and go back to New York and crawl back into his shitty apartment and die. It seems like option number two would be the one he would take if he was alone, but now he has Viktor and that option seems highly impractical, especially since they’ve come all this way. Viktor’s counting on him and he can’t let him down… but at the same time, there’s this simple fear in his chest, that he doesn’t belong here and he has absolutely no business in being here.

 

“I don’t think I can do this,” Yuuri quietly tells a worried looking Viktor. He knows he can do this, he’s positive that his parents will be alright with the fact that he’s here after so long. He knows that he’s freaking out for no good reason at all. But he can’t help but feel this uncomfortable weight on his chest. He wishes, like everyday of his life, that these thoughts would disappear, that he can do things without having to worry about his anxiety, that even the darkest side of him would be satisfied.

 

Viktor moves towards him like he’s going to kiss Yuuri. But he doesn’t. He whispers in Yuuri’s ear, his voice smooth and comforting, “You’re never going to be sure of anything… but we still have to go inside.” His hand is strong against Yuuri’s, like a life preserver that keeps Yuuri from drowning in his own mind.

 

He boldly takes a step forward, indicating that Yuuri should follow in his footsteps. His escort leads him into the party and Yuuri tightly clutches his arm. Small clumps of people that Yuuri doesn’t recognize scatter in his vision. Drinks are everywhere, people are talking and laughing, looking like they’re having a good time, classy jazz music is softly playing in the background.

 

“Try not to look so worried, _solnyshko,_ ” Viktor’s voice is in his ear, meant to comfort really, but doesn’t fully ease Yuuri’s nerves.

 

“I’m not worried,” Yuuri says, completely ignoring the copper taste from biting his inner cheek due to nerves.

 

“Yuuri?” he hears a familiar female voice elongate all the syllables in his name. “Why are you sulking around?”

 

“M-Minako-sensei?” Yuuri turns and finds his old dance teacher standing in front of him in a long black dress that makes her look like she bathes in the fountain of youth every night.

 

Minako Okukawa twirls around with happiness, which makes her flowy dress bounce with every single one of her movements. “Welcome home Yuuri! And after six long years! We’ve all missed you so much.” She smiles warmly at him but then frowns. “Stand up straight and smile more would you?” Yuuri completely forgot about her energetic personality and how often she holds ballerina poses when she’s excited.

 

“Yeah, I’ve missed you too,” Yuuri grins. His blurred earlier memories become the slightest bit clearer now at the sight of Minako. His pre-teen years spent in a dance studio, constantly perfecting his technique and how he holds his body when he skates. She was always there and always has ever since he was a child. He remembers that she would travel the world and bring him small trinkets from wherever she went.

 

“And who is _this_ handsome fellow?” she motions to Viktor next to him.

 

“Oh, Minako. I want you to meet Viktor,” he grabs his escort’s upper arm and pulls him in front of himself to make it easier for them to shake hands. “He’s my… um-”

 

“Hi, I’m the new guy,” Viktor cleverly covers for him. He charmingly brought her outstretched hand to his lips and pecked the back of her hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” Minako’s eyes open wide at Viktor’s formality as Yuuri tries not to blush so hard at this encounter.

 

“The new guy, huh?” Minako looks impressed. “I wish I could say I’ve heard a lot about you, but it looks like Yuuri’s been keeping you all to himself, hasn’t he?”

 

“Yes, I really have,” Yuuri laughs and grabs Viktor’s hand again. “Minako, would you mind, excusing us for a minute?”

 

“Of course, Yuuri. But you’ll have to tell me everything later, ok? Give me all the details.”

 

Yuuri nods and pulls Viktor to the other side of the room, away from Minako and possibly other people who want to talk to them. The quick reunion with Minako made him realize something.

 

“Viktor, we need a story.”

 

“A story?”

 

“Yes, a story. Like uh-,” Yuuri pauses and thinks for a bit. “Like, I met you in a coffee shop or something, you work in a big company which explains your amazing and expensive looking clothes, we’ve been dating for a couple of months and we’re madly in love.”

 

Viktor’s eyebrows shoot up, a look of surprise on his face. “You’ve put a lot of thought in this, haven’t you?”

 

“What can I say? I know my family and they would probably want an explanation for why I’ve been gone so long and how I managed to have such a handsome boyfriend.”

 

If it’s any more possible, Viktor’s eyebrows shoot up even further. “You think I’m handsome?”

 

 _Oh my god._ This guy obviously knows he’s handsome. He bleeds handsome the second he walks in the room. But Yuuri can’t help but be a stuttering mess when Viktor points it out. “I-I mean, of course you are.”

 

Viktor bursts out in laughter, “It’s ok, Yuuri. I’m just teasing you.”

 

“Well, look who it is," another female voice who's not Minako makes it's way into Yuuri's ears. "Look who finally decided to show their face in Los Angeles after such a long time."

 

“Hi Mari,” Yuuri feels pathetic with his small wave when his sister is only a few feet away.

 

“My baby brother, back in California, who would have thought?” Mari smiles at her brother. Her hair is untied, for the first time in forever, and the blonde tips pool around her shoulders, giving her a more sophisticated look along with her purple dress. “Have you said hi to mom and dad yet?”

 

“I-I just got here,” Yuuri stutters over his words. “I haven’t seen them yet.” _Ok, here we go. Just baby steps at a time, Yuuri._ It’s overwhelming, re-meeting so many people at once, how on earth does Viktor do this for a living? He knows it’s time to see them but he didn’t realize that the time would be so soon.

 

“Come with me, I bet they’ll love to see you!” She turns and moves ahead leaving the scent of cigarette smoke and lavender behind. “By the way, your date is really hot,” Mari turns back to look at both of them, with a proud look on her face. “I hope you’ll introduce him to all of us later.”

 

“Yeah,” he looks at Viktor nervously. “I can’t wait.” Viktor gives him an encouraging look but he doesn’t look as surprised at everything as Yuuri is. He’s probably used to parties like these because of his work. But at least at the end of the day, he won’t have to remember any of them. Yuuri thinks about the last time he’s been out with so many people. He doesn’t socialize so often but when he does, it takes a few hours for him to ‘recharge’ afterwards. Drinks usually help boost a short-lived confidence.

 

“Mom, Dad, look who’s with me!” Mari approaches an older looking couple by the bar. Yuuri sucks in a breath as he looks at the people who haven’t changed at all in the years he’s been gone. They’re still the loving mom and dad that he’s missed for the longest time.

 

“Yuuri! It’s so good to see you!” Hiroko’s face lights up in a smile. She still looks as adorable as ever. “Thank you, Mari for finding him and bringing him to us!” she directs her attention to both of her children.

 

“Wow, Yuuri you look just like your mother!” Toshiya says laughing at his own joke. Yuuri’s cheeks flush as brightly as his father's bow tie. He opens his mouth to say something but is immediately interrupted by his sister.

 

“Technically Mom, I didn’t find him first. Minako just told me that he was here and we needed to see him right away,” Mari makes her way to stand on the right side of her mother.

 

“So? My darling, how have you been? How’s New York?” Hiroko asks. Yuuri can’t help but notice that every time he talks to his mother, she always starts off with these questions. They are very simple questions that anyone can answer, but they kind of leave Yuuri with a sort of feeling that neither of them really know what to truly say to each other. _What do you talk about with parents you haven’t seen in awhile?_ Yuuri questions himself.

 

“I’ve been fine, New York’s good, so happy to see you by the way,” Yuuri nervously rambles. “By the way, have you meet Viktor?” He’s kind of desperate to get the attention off him, and Viktor has assured him that it’s ok to bring him into uncomfortable situations. That's his job, to help ease customers into feeling better about themselves. Which is exactly what he needs right now. He lightly touches Viktor's shoulder and brings him in front of himself, similar to what he did when they met Minako.

 

His parents have a mixture of surprise and pride on their faces, a look that Yuuri didn't expect to see.

 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you Viktor,” Toshiya reaches out with his right hand and Viktor firmly shakes it. “Yuuri did mention something about a boyfriend and I'm glad we finally get meet him.”

 

“I'm glad I finally get to meet you as well. Yuuri has said many wonderful things about all of you,” Viktor gives them a dazzling smile that he used on Yuuri when they first met. It was a look that made Yuuri completely and wholeheartedly trust him. And that's exactly how his parents must feel right now. Viktor rests a protective arm around Yuuri's waist, which is more comfort for Yuuri than it is to make a statement. He hopes that it looks natural as his parent’s eyes follow Viktor’s arm.

 

“Oh how exciting,” Hiroko clapped her hands with excitement. “I can't wait to hear more about you. But if you’ll excuse me for a moment I have to use the lady’s room. Mari come with me,” she says, dragging her daughter by the arm. Probably to talk about her son and his partner. It does nothing to Yuuri's nerves except settle them. A little.

 

Viktor directs his attention to Yuuri’s father who has now taken a seat at the bar but is still facing his son.

 

“Can I get you a drink, sir?” Viktor asks with a formal voice. Yuuri couldn't be happier that he had chosen the correct answers on that damn personality quiz, because with this simple question, it looks as if his father is completely won over.

 

“Of course,” Toshiya smiles, causing the corners of his eyes to wrinkle. For the first time since the moment the boys meet they separate only for a few seconds while Viktor gets something to drink for Toshiya and Yuuri. Once Viktor is out of earshot, Toshiya asks Yuuri the question they were preparing for earlier. “Where on earth did you find this man?”

 

He has no idea what possessed him to say, “the internet,” but he's glad to have made his father laugh. It wasn't necessarily a lie… and it looks like Toshiya is having a good time. All the time he spent fretting over what his parents would say was well spent.

 

Viktor comes over holding two martinis that Yuuri gratefully accepts. He’s so glad that Viktor was here because the whole situation would have gone south if he came to the wedding by himself. All the attention would be on him and Yuuri isn't sure he would handle so much pressure. At least now, he has a good reason to be here. And Viktor is so polite and formal, he just wants to kiss him for doing such a good job.

 

Viktor practically won his father over when they started talking about soccer. Even though Viktor doesn't watch often, he says he's a fan of the Japanese team, Sagan Tosu, because one of his co-workers took him to a game. Toshiya was a goner just like his own son, but in a slightly different way. They started talking like they've known each other for months and even though the subject of their bonding is not something that Yuuri is interested in, he loves watching his father and his Viktor getting along so well.

 

He stops thinking for a moment and catches his own mind’s mistake. _His Viktor?_ It's only been a day and he accidentally called Viktor his. _Oh my god, Yuuri. You need to pace yourself, he’s not yours yet. This is just a fake relationship to fool everyone for the wedding. Then after the wedding is over, maybe. Just maybe, you can properly ask him out. For now, keep yourself in control and try not to drink too much._ He thinks about this staged relationship and whether or not it looks real enough. Then he smiles at his newest thought, _if Viktor’s presence fooled my own mind into thinking that I've known him for a while, then that just makes this lie a whole lot easier._

 

His mother and Mari come back from their small trip. “Vichann? Do you mind if we steal Yuuri away from you for just a few minutes?” _Here we go_ , his heart rate starts to pick up speed and it's not the good kind.

 

“Vichann?” Viktor asks confused for a second. He either ignores it or saves it under the file, 'questions to ask Yuuri later’ in his mind. Instead, he nods, gives them a heart-shaped smile and says, “that’s fine, I mean he is your son after all.” Then he gives Yuuri a wink that says 'good luck’.

 

Hiroko takes Yuuri's arm and directs both of her children to separate part of the foyer where they can hear themselves think. “I just want to say how much I've missed you Yuuri, and how happy I am for you,” she tells him with a pride that only a mother could have. “Vichann seems like such a nice man, he looks like he really makes you happy and that's all a mother could ever ask for. You've worked so hard your entire life and you definitely need a well deserved break.”

 

Yuuri lets out a sigh of relief. “I thought you were mad at me,” he tells her truthfully.

 

“Oh, darling. I'm not mad. I'm just so happy you're home!”

 

“And speaking of homes,” Mari cuts in. “Mom and I were talking and we thought that you can stay with us, instead of an expensive hotel or something.”

 

“At the Hot Springs?” They both nod. “It sounds like a good idea.” Being back in his childhood home may bring back some memories that clear up his foggy mind. Memories of a toy poodle with the same name, memories of staying up late and waking up past noon. “Viktor brought his poodle, Makkachin, do we still have some of Vichann’s old stuff?”

 

“I think we do, I haven’t touched anything since you left Yuuri,” his mom mentions. “Except for cleaning of course. You can’t have a dusty room.”

 

“Thanks Mom,” Yuuri says and they go back to the welcome party where Viktor and Toshiya have moved on from talking about sports to talking about dogs. He hears Viktor talk about how Makkachin is waiting with the lady at the front desk and he can’t wait for the rest of Yuuri’s family to meet him.

 

 _It’s funny,_ he thinks. This welcome party was meant for the wedding of his childhood friends and yet he hasn’t seen either of them since the moment he got here. And speak of the devil, Yuuri sees her. The Madonna of Ice Castle, who’s still as beautiful as ever. Yuuko, the friend who was two years older than him but would always defend him from her fiancés bullying when they were children. Yuuko, who used to skate alongside him, who used to help comfort him when he was feeling anxious, who understood him when no one else did. It was simple really, he had a crush on one of his best friends, but it turns out... she never felt the same way.

 

It’s no big deal. Really. There’s no more hard feelings. He should have known that eventually these two would get married. They’re a surprising looking couple and he’s happy for them. They’ve moved on with their lives and Yuuri’s moved on with his. No hard feelings. None whatsoever.

 

Yuuko spots him from his spot across the room, like the graceful angel she is, she comes over to say hi. And Yuuri suddenly doesn’t want to be here anymore. But he has to say something at least, he did come all this way, and he's going to participate in all the wedding events that are planned.

 

“Yuuko. It’s been awhile,” is the only thing that comes out of his mouth when she’s in front of him.

 

“Yuuri?” Yuuko’s voice still sweet to this day. Yuuri nods with a shy smile and looks at the ground. “Well don’t just stand there like some stranger, tell me how you’ve been!” Well, she looks happy enough to see him. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

 

“I’ve been good,” he feels like a robot stuck on repeat and these are the only words he can say. “New York is cold but it’s not as nice as here.”

 

“How is everything? Your job? Your book?” he’s surprised she remembered about his book that not even he knows what to do with.

 

“Everything’s fine. There’s so much to do and so little time. And as for my book, I can't tell you. It’s a surprise!” It’s also one of the most common excuses that writers give whenever they create something. They never give away what they create until it’s completed.

 

“A surprise huh? Like the fact that you didn’t tell me you were here with someone?” Yuuko’s on a roll with all of these questions. Her eyebrow is raised and her arms are folded against her belly, her voice demanding but her expression is relaxed.

 

“Well, the invitation said there’s a plus one, so I thought. Why not?” _Ooh. Nice one Yuuri._

 

“I can’t believe I had to find out from Phichit instead of straight from you.”

 

“Really? Phichit’s here?” Yuuri asks looking around.

 

“Yeah, he was here a second ago. Now I can’t find him,” Yuuko unfolds her arms and grabs both of Yuuri’s shoulders. “But that’s not important right now, where is he?”

 

“Where’s who?”

 

“Your date!”

 

“He’s right here,” Viktor’s voice pops up behind him. “Yuuko, it’s lovely to meet you. Congratulations on your engagement and I wish both of you a lifetime of happiness.” Yuuri blinks. The wedding isn’t until Saturday but this is the kind of thing to tell a couple during a speech after their marriage. Yuuko looks very appreciative so Yuuri decides not to mention it later.

 

“Thank you...” she motions for him to say his name.

 

“Viktor.”

 

“Thank you, Viktor,” she smiles at him. Yuuko glances at Yuuri and slightly wiggles her eyebrows like she’s saying, ‘good job on this one’. “Takeshi is talking to our parents so maybe you can officially meet him later. Yuuri,” she directs her attention to her old friend. “I’m letting you know that this week is going to be really busy, and I know that you just got here from New York and you’re full of jet lag but it’s one thing after another and I'm warning you, it’s going to be really crazy. There’s the welcome cocktails today, tomorrow’s Fun in the Park, followed by the bachelor and bachelorette parties - which I’m sure you’ll both love. Thursday's another day of fun because what's a summer in California without going to the beach? Friday’s a picnic and rehearsal dinner, and of course Saturday as you know, is the wedding! Hopefully you’ll enjoy your time and I hope to see more of both of you later!”

 

“Sounds like a plan,” Viktor confidently states.

 

“I’m so happy you came, but I have to go say hi to the other guests. I’ll see you later, ok Yuuri?” she doesn’t wait for an answer and moves on ahead looking back to say, “It was nice to meet you too Viktor!”

 

Viktor smiles and waves at her. He then directs his attention to Yuuri.

 

Yuuri sighs. So far, so good. The entire day has been a whirlwind of emotions and meetings for him. Without Viktor, he probably would have fled immediately at the sight of dealing with so many people. His escort encouraged him to make it through the night and he can't help but be grateful to Viktor. He's comforted Yuuri, held his hand, whispered words of trust into his mind, he wants to say something to Viktor. He stands on his tippy toes and brings his lips close to Viktor's ear so only he can hear. “Thank you for being amazing so far, Viktor,” Yuuri tells him. Now that meeting the family is over with, he feels relieved. At least the rest of the week would go by smoother, considering the fact that what he was dreading wasn't that bad after all. “You did great.”

 

“Thank you, Yuuri," Viktor happily responds. "I’m happy to be of service to you.”

 

Yuuri doesn’t quite know what to say after that but he can feel Viktor’s warmth. Up close, he can see light freckles scattered across Viktor’s cheeks, making him look even more attractive than before. Their lips are only a few inches away, and he feels like he can actually taste them based on the small breaths they share. He licks his lips subconsciously, and his heart nearly stops when he sees Viktor do the same, pupils dilated.

 

“Yuuri…” Viktor breathes making Yuuri shiver with desire. The small whine in his voice makes it seem like Viktor wants to say something else, but the rest of his words trail off, almost as if he forgot what he was going to say.

 

A flash goes off in the distance bringing the boys out of their trance. Yuuri’s thoughts are foggy, his mind blank as he looks around for the source of the light. Viktor’s lazy smile turned into a frown, his features scrunched up with irritation, an expression that doesn’t match his persona. He pulls away from Yuuri, turning to find the thing that disrupted this perfect moment.

 

Yuuri squints his eyes. Is that Phichit behind a camera phone? “Phichit?” he asks just for good measure.

 

“Hi, Yuuri," his best friend says with a sly grin behind his phone. "Surprise!”

 

Yuuri groans. “It looks like you haven’t changed no matter where we are,” Yuuri is still angry at him for what he just did but gives him a smile anyway.

 

“Dude, it’s like you don’t know me at all. And when you said he’s devastatingly handsome, I don’t think it does him complete justice.”

 

“I know,” Yuuri says at the same time Phichit decides to introduce himself.

 

“Hi, I’m Phichit. Yuuri’s best friend and partner in crime,” he sticks out a hand for Viktor to shake, which he accepts gladly. His expression of annoyance disappeared from his face. It’s quite difficult really, to stay angry at Phichit’s excited nature.

 

“I’m Viktor.”

 

“Yeah. I know who you are, Viktor _Nikiforov_. He told me all about you. After the questionnaire, Yuuri went on and on talking about you and how excited he was to meet you. His eyes lit up whenever I mentioned you, it was so freakin' cute. Honestly, if I would have known that this escort service has godlike escorts I would have got one myself a long time ag- umf!” Phichit’s rambling is stopped by Yuuri’s hand slapped across his mouth.

 

“Hey man, you, me, and him are the only ones who know about this escort thing, so I prefer for you to keep quiet about it,” Yuuri whispers to his best friend. Viktor looks surprised at how the friends talk to one another.

 

“Yuuri, relax," he says once he removes Yuuri's hand from his mouth. "You guys look so natural and so good together that no one would even expect the truth about it,” Phichit tells them.

 

“Really?” Yuuri asks.

 

“Really, really. In fact I need to tell you something… In private,” Phichit adds.

 

“Can it wait?”

 

“I… guess,” he narrows his eyes at Yuuri. “Why?”

 

“Because we have to leave soon. My parents said we’re staying at the Hot Springs.”

 

“Yes, it’s true,” Viktor agrees, going along with whatever Yuuri has to say. _Is it possible to like this guy even more?_ Yuuri thinks. “In fact we were just about to leave soon.”

 

“Ok then,” Phichit says with a look on his face that says, ‘I don’t believe you, but you win this round’. “I’ll just text you later.”

 

“Yeah that’s perfect,” Yuuri says taking Viktor by the hand and makes their way out of the hotel foyer. “See you later Phich!”

 

Viktor, for the first time since they got here, looks overwhelmed. “He looks… charming.”

 

“Now, you’re just too nice, Viktor,” Yuuri laughs at his escort. They’ve been here for too long, now it’s time for the ‘re-charging’ stage that Yuuri mentioned earlier.

 

Viktor gets reunited with Makkachin and he thanks the woman at the front desk for her services. A different bellhop brings their stuff back and Viktor gives both him and the woman at the desk twenties for their services. They smile at him gratefully as the boys make their way out of the hotel and call for a cab.

 

“Next stop, Hot Springs?” He asks Yuuri.

 

“Hot Springs,” Yuuri agrees.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's what [Yuuri's outfit](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/42/53/8a/42538af628bfe78a157c43f949ec10ac--casual-fashion-style-men-casual-styles.jpg) looks like
> 
> And here's [Viktor's outfit](https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/2d/5b/b3/2d5bb3c763d8a218511fa1d99e57f9e4--waist-coat-a-real-man.jpg) (my favorite)


	4. Chapter 4

 

 

Viktor’s supposed to be an enigma. He’s had this mysterious façade that has faced the public ever since he was young. With this job, he’s not supposed to have a family, a past, or even the simplest of emotions because it would interfere with the clients. How it would interfere, Viktor still isn’t sure, but it was one of Yakov’s rules. Viktor never had any of those to begin with, so it made sense to accept his uncle’s offer. At the time.

 

As he watches Yuuri’s relationship with his family from a distance, he can’t help but want a family as well. They clearly trust and believe in one another, something that he never had with anyone really. And even though Yuuri hasn’t visited them in six years, it’s obvious that there are no hard feelings between him and his parents.

 

There’s not much room for conversation during the ten minute cab ride. They pull up to a cute Japanese style house with red columns, a black hidden roof, and a golden dragon that hangs over the front door welcoming them. Viktor smiles and thinks that this must have been a lovely place for Yuuri to grow up in. It was everything he imagined Yuuri’s childhood home to be. Maybe even more.

 

Yuuri’s parents are already inside the Hot Springs and they’ve already changed into their home clothes. When the couple steps in, Viktor sees Hiroko’s eyes light up. He also notices that there are multiple guests in the waiting room. Some are relaxing on the ground wearing what looks like inn clothing, others are standing while watching the tv that’s quietly playing in the corner of the room, and others are talking to Mari who’s behind the front desk.

 

Hiroko approaches them and says, “We have a couple of people over for the next few days because of the wedding. Yuuri, you don’t mind giving Vichann a tour of the inn do you?”

 

“Of course not,” Yuuri nods. “I was going to give him a tour anyways.”

 

“Wonderful,” she says with a relieved expression on her face. “Because there’s so many guests, all the extra rooms are taken. So, it looks like you two will have to share Yuuri’s old room.”

 

He sees Yuuri visibly gulp. “Yeah that’s fine,” his voice shaky and Viktor notices a small change in his expression. Of course they would share a room, isn’t that what couples in love do anyways? “Viktor,” he takes his hand and leads him out of the main room. “Come with me.”

 

Viktor immediately follows after him, trying to commit even the most smallest details to memory. He finds himself enjoying his time with Yuuri. Often times, on his “dates” with other clients, Viktor feels tired and worn out, his mind wandering to what he had for dinner or what Makkachin was doing rather than on his client. When he’s with Yuuri, he’s never bored or distracted, he’s always interested in whatever Yuuri has to say or whatever he does. He’s just so interesting, Viktor feels his mysterious enigma slowly break down as he allows himself to let loose, relax, and have fun for the first time in _years._

 

And Viktor _rarely_ enjoys himself.

 

He notices every single detail in Yuuri’s face, how close their physical proximity is, the small shuffle in Yuuri’s shoulders when he’s overcome with nerves. Meeting the family may be over, but Viktor continues to worry about Yuuri’s anxiety and his insecurities that prevent them from making this process as smooth as possible. Yuuri has been through this constant struggle with himself, probably stemming from an unknown event in his life. Viktor obviously doesn’t know the whole picture yet but he wants to help him as much as he can. It’s his job after all.

 

He tells himself that helping Yuuri is part of his job but in his heart, he knows that’s not the case. _Viktor,_ Yakov’s voice warns. _Keep your distance,_ echoes in his mind. Sometimes he really hates that voice of reason.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The Yu-topia Katsuki hasn’t changed at all. Everything is still comfortably in it’s place which makes Yuuri’s job as a temporary tour guide the slightest bit easier. He shows Viktor all the rooms and he seems to absorb everything up like a sponge. His escort’s mouth is slightly open and his blue eyes bounce around taking in every single detail. He’s quite adorable to watch really, his enthusiasm contagious, stopping every few seconds to observe, and quickly picking up his long legs when he notices that Yuuri has moved on.

 

When Yuuri shows him his old room, Viktor’s eyes widen a bit more and gives his newest roommate a small smile. The light grey of his room gave a cold yet welcoming feeling and posters were still surrounding the walls. Posters of movies he used to love along with actors and skaters he used to worship cover his walls completely. He instantly becomes self aware about his room, figuring that Viktor has probably seen nicer and more luxurious rooms. To him, this room probably looks immature and ridiculous. Yuuri makes a mental note to take down the posters later when Viktor won’t notice.

 

The silver haired man stretches and makes a noise of approval. “What an adorable little room! It's very cosy.” His voice is full of longing, an emotion that Yuuri hasn't heard from him before.

 

“This is gonna be a bit awkward but,” Yuuri hesitatingly gestures towards the bed which looks a little too tight to hold two people. “Are you… ok? With sharing a bed?” He then holds both hands up in surrender and starts talking incredibly fast. “I mean, if you want, I can go search for a sleeping bag or I can sleep somewhere else, or on the floor, or-”

 

“Yuuri, relax. It’s ok if I share a bed with you,” he says unbuttoning his charcoal vest and sits down lightly on the edge of the bed. “I should warn you though. If you want to be intimate we have to talk money before anything happens. It’s a bit extra, probably eighteen-hundred-”

 

“Oh no, no, no,” Yuuri interrupts him before he can go any further. “That won’t be necessary.” He’s absolutely positive his whole face is red with embarrassment. There’s no need for him to think about Viktor’s perfect looking skin against his own naked body at a time like this. And on his childhood bed? Dangerous thoughts that he shouldn’t even think about at the moment enter without his consent. His treacherous mind refuses to listen to his reason. How would those beautifully shaped lips would feel like against the beating pulse of his neck? The sweet taste of intoxication against his own mouth? He hopes that Viktor doesn’t notice his weak legs as he struggles to sit at his desk chair. He doesn’t think he can survive a one-night stand with such a beautiful person. It would break his heart completely and Yuuri doesn’t want to let that happen. They’re here on business, and maybe after the wedding they wouldn’t have to worry about business anymore.

 

 _But it might be worth it,_ a rogue thought escapes. _Fuck, Yuuri, are you forgetting that the only reason Viktor’s here is to be your pretend boyfriend?_ He’s about to lose his mind and there's nothing he can do to stop himself. Look at Viktor. He’s fucking gorgeous. And sweet. And smart. And completely his type. This is exactly the reason why he shouldn't have done this.

 

“It's your decision, Yuuri. I don't mind what you do, you don't even have to pay me right away. We can defer the escort fee until later. Just wanted to let you know before anything happens - it's in my contract to inform you,” he smiles up at him as he folds his waistcoat and puts it on the bed.

 

Yuuri rubs his face with both hands in anguish. “This is going to be a long night,” he muttered.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When Viktor leaves to use the bathroom, Yuuri took it as a perfect opportunity to text Phichit without having to worry about Viktor looking over his shoulder. Today had been surprisingly okay and that was one hundred percent because of his amazing escort. He sits on the bed and pulls out his phone, his fingers bouncing around the keyboard, not knowing how to start his message to Phichit. It’s probably a good idea to keep it simple.

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:25 pm

 

_Alright Phich, just got home and dont have a lot of time._

_What is it?_

 

He gets an immediate response.

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:25 pm

 

_:D I thougt youd never txt!_

_*thought_

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:26 pm

 

_I’m txting u now arent i? lol_

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:26 pm

 

_Tell me everythng bout him._

_I want details rn_

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:26 pm

 

_But you already saw him?_

 

Here’s a perfect reason why these boys are such good friends. Yuuri likes to talk to him about stuff he’s seen or things he’s heard people say and in return, Phichit loves to listen. This boy is huge on gossip and loves to hear anything that’s drama related. He practically lives for it. Yuuri has no choice but to talk to Phichit about his current drama because he knows if he doesn’t say anything, Phichit is going to make him regret it. He sighs and types up a new response only to find another text bubble.

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:27 pm

 

_Yeah, i know. BUT I WANNA HEAR IT FROM U_

_I NEED DA DEATS YUURI_

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:29 pm

 

_ok ok_

_omg tho he’s so gorgeous and out of my league_

_U saw his eyes right?_

_They’re like the color of the ocean after a storm_

_And he's so nice and he's got a dog and so handsome and smart_

_Fuck_

_what am i gonna do? OTL_

 

He prides himself in being able to text incredibly fast. But Phichit texts twice as fast as him, sending an almost immediate response.

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:30 pm

 

_lol yur in luv Yuuri._

_OMG he rlly was gorgeous and sexy_

_what i wanted to tell u in private was_

_you gotta be careful with keepin yur hands off him_

_He was totally givin u bedroom eyes the whole time_

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:30 pm

 

_Really?_

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:31 pm

 

_U were too wtf_

_both of u were eyefuckin each other_

_NO. It was tender eye lovemaking lol ;)_

_I even have a pic I took of u remember?_

 

How could he forget? There was a chance to kiss Viktor and his friend, like the little shit he is, interrupted what could have happened. He decides to change subjects.

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:31 pm

 

_Phichit I rlly like him so far tho_

_omg but i have 2 share a bed w/ him_

_my childhood bed in my childhood room_

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:32 pm

 

_:O woah nice Yuuri!_

_It sounds like u have a crush on him_

_Of course u do i wud 2 lol_

_have u thought bout his ‘extra services’?_

 

Yuuri snorts at Phichit’s message. He’s only known Viktor for what? A day? It feels like longer because of the amount of hours he’s been obsessing over him before and after meeting him. But he’s an escort, Yuuri shouldn’t even be thinking of him in that way anyways!  _And yet, that didn't stop your from thinking that way._ "Shut up." He says out loud to no one in particular.

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:32 pm

 

_Costs $1800 to sleep w/ him :/_

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:33 pm

 

_:OOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!_

_that’s like a down payment on a ford focus!_

 

Yuuri laughs out loud when he reads Phichit’s text. He then looks up to see if Viktor has returned in the time he was texting his friend but finds the room empty. That’s good. He doesn’t need anyone to question him on what he’s doing right now.

 

 **To:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:34 pm

 

_Ikr? He's the best in the business_

_Gtg Viktor is gonna come back any second_

_Night <3 _

 

 **From:** Phichit :)

 **Time:** 11:34 pm

 

_Damn straight he's da best_

_have fun w/ yur new bf_

_try not 2 spoon w/ him tho_

_ILY bro <3 night _

 

Viktor opens the door to his room and closes it behind him with impeccable timing. “We should probably go to sleep soon,” Viktor points out completely unaware of Yuuri’s surprise. It's a completely platonic thing to say, Viktor probably feels tired after such a long day. So why does Yuuri feel all of his blood fly south at such a simple statement? It’s probably because of the fact that Viktor is shirtless and his confidence protrudes whenever he walks into a room.

 

Revealing his carefully sculpted abs makes Yuuri drop his jaw. _Can this man be any more perfect? What the hell am I gonna do now?_ He finds himself staring at Viktor’s lean and fit body and he just can't look away. A grunt from Yuuri is the only response that was given as he averts his eyes, feeling his face engulfed in flames.

 

Viktor follows where Yuuri’s eyes went and he looks down at himself. His chest puffs out slightly at the attention and there is no hint of embarrassment on his face. “Sorry,” he says, not sounding sorry at all. “I usually sleep naked but I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”

 

“That's fine,” Yuuri says. _No, it's not fine. It's not fine at all._ But he's forced to suffer the consequences because there's no other choice. At least Viktor’s not completely naked. He wears black boxers in a way that makes him look like a underwear model for Calvin Klein. Yuuri takes out the band shirt that he always sleeps in and changes out of his clothes, ignoring the way Viktor’s eyes rake up and down his body. “Do you mind?” He asks in the middle of stepping out of his pants.

 

Viktor gives him a sly smile and then turns away giving Yuuri the smallest bit of privacy. “Hey! No peeking!” Yuuri says when he sees a hint of blue looking at him.

 

A low chuckle is the only response as Viktor moves to lie down on the bed. His back is flat on the cushion, his eyes closed, arms resting above his belly, he gives off the feeling of complete relaxation. Makkachin is already at the corner of the bed, curled up into a ball, completely dozed off.

 

Yuuri goes through a little check list in his mind. Pyjamas? Check. Contacts off? Check. Lights off? Check. Is Viktor asleep? Probably, it looks like he is. Yuuri grabs the blanket and unfolds it, draping it over Viktor’s fake sleeping form. He ‘sleepily’ shifts around a bit to make room for Yuuri as he climbs into the much too small bed for the two of them to fit comfortably. The moonlight gently falls into the room, giving the boys a simultaneous amount of darkness and light to see each other.

 

Once Yuuri is situated, he closes his eyes and forces his mind to fall asleep quickly but knows that is highly unlikely considering the fact that he's not alone in his bed. He's shoulder to shoulder with Viktor and his heart is pounding loud enough for the whole house to hear. They're not doing anything, so why the hell can't he relax like a normal person would?

 

“Arctic Monkeys?” The voice next to him asks after the moment of silence between them.

 

“You cheated,” Yuuri responds. “You said you wouldn't look but you did anyway.”

 

He chuckled. “I just saw your shirt, I didn't see anything else. I swear.”

 

Yuuri playfully elbowed him. “They're my favorite band.”

 

“Obviously. If they weren't, you wouldn't be sleeping in their shirt.”

 

“Very funny,” Yuuri says with a smile. If this talk continues, he’s sure that he won't get any sleep tonight. Well, he wouldn't have anyways but now he's definitely sure. He’s careful not to let his bare limbs touch Viktor’s body in any way for fear of what would happen next.

 

“Viktor?” Yuuri asks into the dark. His escort’s breathing hasn’t slowed yet, meaning that he’s still as awake as Yuuri is. He doesn’t answer but his body leans into him unconsciously, increasing the heat on the right side of Yuuri’s body, so close that it’s difficult not to touch him. “What made you want to be an escort?”

 

Viktor is silent for a moment, which makes Yuuri curse at himself for asking a personal question.

 

“Are you sure you want to know?” Viktor asks within a moment of hesitation.  Yuuri nodded. “My mother was hippie and often worked as a stripper,” he started, his expression genuine. “She used to be very inappropriate with me. I remember how she used to wash lingerie in my bathwater. While I was still in the bath.”

 

“Really?”

 

Yuuri sees a small nod and a flash of blue looking at him. “As an adult, I had to find an outlet for me to experience intimacy and sex in a way that wouldn’t be violated.”

 

“Wow,” Yuuri said completely engrossed in the story.

 

“Yeah,” Viktor says, his long eyelashes casting spidery shadows on his lightly freckled cheeks in the low light.

 

They’re both silent for a minute. Yuuri is deep in thought about Viktor’s life. He feels bad for him, heartbroken even. And that’s when he hear’s Viktor’s voice again, unable to keep in a laugh. “I’m messing with you.”

 

Yuuri takes a pillow and hits Viktor in the face with a puff. “You little shit.” They’re both laughing their asses off loud enough to wake the people in the next door guest room.

 

“Whenever someone asks, I always give them a different story. It’s really quite amusing,” he says in between laughs.

 

“But seriously,” Yuuri says once they both catch their breath. “Tell me.”

 

Viktor sighs, looking defeated. “It’s a long story,” he hesitates a little as if he knows he shouldn’t discuss his personal life with a client. But he does it anyways, practically throwing the rule book out the window. “But here’s the short version. My mother was actually an amazing woman. She didn’t know any Russian at all and yet, she so simply managed to steal my father’s cold and lonely heart. She was a French woman who was skilled with languages. Taught me everything I know, like, how to be the perfect gentleman, how to speak more than three languages fluently, a whole lot of other things. She wasn't inappropriate with me at all, she loved me and my father very much. I remember she would always speak to me in mixtures of French and Russian whenever we were in public, people would get so confused,” he laughs at the memory. His eyes so deep in thought and his memories that he doesn't notice Yuuri's smile.

 

“But of course, good things must eventually come to an end. Both of my parents went for a drive when I was 16… the news came back that they had died in a car crash because of a drunk driver,” Viktor tells him quietly, his eyes watery but tears refused to fall. “After the worst day of my life, my uncle, Yakov, took me in and raised me as his own child. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him.

 

“He was the head of this escort business and I had no choice but to accept his offer to work for him because I felt as if I have this debt that I needed to repay. And that was the only way to repay it. So when I turned 18, I started college and worked part time as an escort. Eventually that became a full time job.”

 

“I miss her,” Viktor continues. A single tear glistens down his cheek. He quickly blinks back the rest of his tears and he goes back to his normal charming self. As if this never happened.

 

It pains Yuuri to see him look so sad. He feels a sense of protectiveness, that this beautiful should cry tears of happiness, not tears of pain. He opens his mouth to say something but nothing comes out, not knowing what to say in order to make Viktor feel better. He didn't really think about his escort’s background because he already had so much on his mind anyways. But to hear that Viktor was as lonely as Yuuri himself, really breaks his heart. In this moment, Yuuri realized that they were more alike than they would ever be different. He doesn't really know how to reassure him, he’s not that good at this kind of stuff. He can hardly calm himself down in situations like this, how can he comfort Viktor?

 

Instead he does something that he promised himself not to do. He wraps his arms around Viktor’s shirtless body and buries his face where his neck and shoulder meet. Viktor stiffened at first, not expecting this kind of response but he immediately relaxes into the hug. He copies Yuuri’s movements and takes a deep breath in. They stay in each other's arms for quite some time, neither of them letting go anytime soon. Yuuri feels Viktor’s heartbeat and breath start to even out. Yuuri opens one eye to check on his escort.

 

 _Yup, he’s definitely asleep. I think I should just…_ Yuuri slightly moves his arms and body out of the hug in order for both of them to sleep comfortably throughout the night. But Viktor refuses to let go. Like an octopus, he tightens his hold on Yuuri protectively. “I've never told anyone about what happened,” his voice slow and quiet. If Yuuri wasn't attached to him like he is now, he probably wouldn’t have heard it. “I'm surprised those words even came out of my mouth.”

 

Yuuri takes in a shaky breath. “I-I’m not good in situations like this,” he begins truthfully. “What happened to you is… tragic. It’s something that no one should experience. I’m sure that… your parents would be very proud of the man you’ve become today, Viktor.”

 

There’s silence from the man in his arms. Yuuri questions himself if Viktor heard it or not.

 

“You’re probably right,” Viktor says muffled in Yuuri’s shoulder.

 

Yuuri wants to say more. He wishes he was born with a silver tongue so that he can speak beautifully, so that he can comfort those who need it the most, so that he won’t have to worry about what he’s said for hours on end, so that there are no regrets. He wishes he could comfort Viktor the way he comforted him earlier today. But he can’t. Night is dangerous… that’s when a true person’s self comes out.

 

“I know that we just met today,” Yuuri bites his lip, feeling the smallest bit of spontaneity, deciding to make his wish somewhat true. Even if it’s just for the moment. “But I’m proud of you. I’m so happy that you decided to be my escort.”

 

He feels a small smile against his shoulder. “Thank you, Yuuri.” And for the first time since their arrival, Yuuri doesn’t feel any regret for what was said and done.

 

“We should probably go to sleep now,” Yuuri whispers once the silence between them lengthens. He lets go of Viktor once again and this time, the other man returns the favor.

 

Viktor shifts on his back and Yuuri rolls on his side, away from Viktor and faces the door. The warmth from the hug is replaced with a cold spot from where his arms once rested. Yuuri frowns.

 

“Goodnight, Yuuri.”

 

“Goodnight, Viktor.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Viktor wakes up early in the morning to Makkachin whining and licking his face. This dog may be the best alarm clock that he’s ever had, minus the fact that he keeps having to wash his face from his dog’s saliva. Yuuri is still sleeping peacefully next to him, his expression relaxed and his body is angled towards him. Viktor spends some time fighting an internal debate on whether or not to go back to sleep.

 

If he gets out of bed, he would let Makkachin get some fresh air and win over Yuuri’s parents even more than he did yesterday. But on the minus side, he wouldn’t be able to bask in Yuuri’s beautiful sleeping form, watching as his eyelids flicker back and forth, dreaming peacefully. He slowly gets up out of bed, fully aware that if he stays longer, he would never leave Yuuri’s side. He steals one last look and leaves the bed before he can change his mind.

 

It’s hard to believe that it’s only the second day and Viktor has difficulties keeping his small crush under control. It didn’t make it any easier when Yuuri so gracefully changed out of his clothes, giving him the smallest view of the soft body underneath. Not to mention the fact that Yuuri curled into him unconsciously as he slept, indicating his comfort being in Viktor’s presence. He had to force himself to turn away hoping that Yuuri wouldn’t notice his ever-growing scarlet blush. He's thankful that he woke up first so that Yuuri won’t have to witness this unprofessionalism.

 

Viktor throws on the first shirt he can find and slides open the door. He looks back at Yuuri, whose Arctic Monkeys shirt is riding a little on his waist, giving Viktor a glimpse of the golden tummy underneath. To be honest, he’s actually glad that Yuuri was opposed to any sexual activities because if he wasn't, Viktor is a hundred percent sure he would lose himself and his mind forever.

 

He imagines Yuuri’s beautiful body, them moving together as one, Yuuri’s breath against his chest, light fingers grazing his skin. His tremble is strong enough that the hair on his arms stand on edge. Viktor would instantly be reduced to a pile of Russian goo and he would be happy enough to do it over and over again, as many times as Yuuri would like, as long as they're together. _Dammit Viktor, not again,_ he forces himself to get out of the room as quickly as possible. He runs to the bathroom to try and calm down, hating the way he feels like a teenage boy again with an uncontrollable boner.

 

He doesn’t need his emotions are all over the place right now. He’s here to do his job, not be influenced by things like crushes and feelings. Yuuri Katsuki physically and mentally needs him. It was clear in how he held him last night, he projected his understanding onto Viktor. He accepted Viktor's vulnerableness in a way that said, _I know how you feel because it's happened to me before,_ without explicitly stating it. Viktor has definitely broken some of the Escort Service’s rules… but he doesn't care. There's something about being in Yuuri’s presence that makes him feel more comfortable, makes him want to share every single detail about himself.

 

Viktor wants to be Yuuri’s anchor for however long he is needed. He wants to be a beacon of hope, a guide to help pull him out of whatever he’s experiencing.

 

Viktor hears a scratching against the bathroom door and is reminded of what he woke up to do. He steps out of the bathroom once everything is back to normal and lets Makkachin out to get some fresh air. As he watches Makkachin sniff around the grass, he thinks about how, despite everything that’s happened, he hopes that Yuuri trusts him enough to help him through the week. After all, there’s no doubt in his mind that he trusts Yuuri.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Viktor?” Is the first word out of Yuuri’s mouth when he wakes up. The space next to him is unoccupied and cold, meaning that Viktor must have left a while ago. _Makkachin is gone too_ , Yuuri notices. He steps out of bed, reaches for his glasses on the nightstand, and makes his way out of the room, curiously searching for where Viktor may have gone.

 

He climbs downstairs and says good morning to his sister who already looks bored, despite the fact that the day just started. He was just going to ask her where Viktor was when Toshiya approaches him.

 

“Ah, good morning Yuuri!” he says carrying a yellow carton of towels. “I hope you slept well?”

 

“Yes I did,” Yuuri answers, looking around for a flash of silver hair.

 

“Well you must have. It's just past noon.”

 

“Just past noon?” _Wow. I must have been more tired than I thought._ “Have you seen Viktor anywhere? I can’t find him.”

 

“Viktor? He’s soaking up in the springs right now,” Toshiya tells him. “You should really check on him. He’s been in there for quite a while now.”

 

 _What’s Viktor doing in the hot springs so early in the morning?_ Yuuri thinks as he walks over to the springs. It’s actually not that early in the morning, Yuuri has a habit of going to sleep really late and waking up even later.

 

He’s forgotten about the overwhelming heat that hits his face the moment he steps outside. The steam is strong enough to render his glasses useless. He momentarily takes off his glasses and wipes them on the edge of his shirt, but it doesn't really help the situation because the glass fogs up again. _Whatever_ , he puts his glasses back on his face and looks around the empty springs.

 

Empty except for a naked Viktor. His eyes are closed, there's a wet towel on top of his head, and he looks completely relaxed as he’s submerged in the water. Yuuri doesn't want to disturb the calm and peaceful Viktor and thinks, _I should really get out of here._ There's no way his heart can contain itself when he’s dealt with a shirtless Viktor and a naked Viktor all in a span of under twenty four hours.

 

Yuuri slowly backs away, trying not to make any noise so that he doesn't disrupt the relaxing beauty. He takes a wrong step, accidentally slipping on a puddle of water and making a lot of noise - mainly swear words - as he falls to the ground.

 

“Yuuri? Are you ok?” He hears a frantic voice. His eyes squeeze shut and open again, quickly placing the palms of his hands on the ground in a push-up position. He successfully stands and rubs the back of his neck nervously looking around, preparing himself to see a naked Viktor. _Well, it looks like my plan failed. Again._

 

He puts on a smile so that Viktor won't notice his hesitancy. “Oh, hi Viktor. I was just looking for you.” There’s a splash of water and he closes his eyes on instinct. Viktor is out of the water now, he’s near Yuuri, checking to make sure he’s ok after the fall. Yuuri speaks a little faster, trying to finish his sentence with his eyes closed. “And now that I found you, I was going to let you know that we have to get ready for the fun in the park thing we have to go to. Ok, I'm gonna leave now. Bye”

 

He turns to leave but is stopped by Viktor’s arm. “I know Yuuri. I was just about to leave actually.”

 

“You were?” Yuuri asks, opening one eye and trying not to look down.

 

“Yes, I was. The hot springs is just divine. In fact, I've never been in such a large bath before.”

 

“I know. It's nice.”

 

“You should really try it out sometime,” Viktor insists. “But that’s not important right now, are you alright? You took quite the fall.”

 

“Yes, I’m fine,” Yuuri began, eager to leave the springs and go back to his safe room. “I should get going now.”

 

“You can look, you know,” Viktor said. He must sense Yuuri’s uncomfortableness with the situation. “It's a part of the package.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes nervously flick up and down and he bites his lip without thinking. _Oh man, I should not have done that… he’s a fucking Adonis._

 

In everyone else's eyes, they are a couple who has seen each other naked multiple times. But in reality, Yuuri gets incredibly flustered looking at Viktor’s body and he immediately looks away. There's nothing he can really do up until this point except run away from his problems. And that's exactly what he does.

 

Yuuri's gone before Viktor can say another word.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So what's the plan here?” Viktor asks once everyone is situated.

 

“I'd like to think that there is no plan,” Phichit answers with his hands on his hips, eyes overlooking the crowded park. His goal is to look majestic but in Yuuri's eyes, he looks like an overgrown hamster. “Oh sorry, you were talking to Yuuri. My bad.”

 

“You're good, Phichit,” Yuuri grabs Phichit’s shoulder. It's been awhile since Yuuri has felt so comfortable outdoors. Grand Park is where Yuuko told them the Fun in the Park event is going to be at. He didn't expect it to be so full of people. _Great,_ Yuuri thinks. _That means even more socializing._ He should have seen this coming really. Even though Yuuri was reunited with his immediate family yesterday, he forgot about the fact that there will be more people to meet and more people to fool with his fake relationship. He imagines their looks of surprise, similar to the looks on his parents face, which makes him laugh.

 

Viktor gives him a confused look which makes Yuuri laugh even more. He looks so natural, so perfect, Yuuri is absolutely positive that this is the right choice.

 

“The goal here, my dear Viktor,” Yuuri directs his attention to his escort, “is to have fun.” Fake-flirting is allowed at this point so why not enjoy it? Especially after all this embarrassment he felt in the morning, it's good to have a little fun and forget that the small event had ever happened.

 

Viktor opens his mouth to say something but is interrupted by Phichit.

 

“Hey guys look, Yuuko's waiting for us over there,” he points to a waving Yuuko. “Let's go say hi.”

 

Behind her is Takeshi, her fiancé, who still looks the same as ever. He’s dribbling a soccer ball between his feet and passes it to a few kids in the park. They're all running around, trying to shoot for some makeshift goals a short distance away. One little girl cleverly runs with the ball, faking a right which makes a boy fall to the ground in attempt to block her. She laughs at him and kicks the ball over to her friend across from her. A few kids are playing soccer, some adults are playing volleyball without a net, some are even lying on the grass, talking to each other and relaxing.

 

“Yuuri! Welcome back!” Takeshi wraps an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders.

 

“Nishigori!” Yuuri exclaims, surprised at the sudden hug from his old friend.

 

“I’m glad you decided to make it,” he lets go of Yuuri and keeps him at arm’s length.

 

Yuuko stands next to her fiancé, making her look smaller than ever. She nonchalantly shows off her 14 karat engagement ring on her right hand resting on Takeshi’s shoulder. “Are you and Viktor up for a game of soccer?”

 

“I don’t know,” Yuuri looks at the silver haired man next to him. “Viktor?”

 

“Sure, why not,” Viktor says. He wraps his arm around Yuuri’s shoulder, brings him closer to his body, and looks down at him, batting his eyelashes around his ocean blue eyes. “Are you going to be on my team, darling?”

 

Yuuri feels his lips hitch up in a smile, obviously sensing a small change in Viktor’s voice. There’s this look in his eyes, a look that says, ‘ _remember what we’re here for_ ,’ telling him to react. And Yuuri does, grabbing a hold of Viktor’s waist and giving him a warm smile.

 

“Of course, Vitya,” he says, surprised at the sudden nickname. Viktor smiles even brighter, if that’s even possible. Yuuri is vaguely aware of Phichit in the background, clutching his phone to his chest, softly saying ‘aw’, probably thinking that no one heard him.

 

“You're on, Katsuki,” Takeshi responds with a sly grin.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After two games of soccer and three rounds of volleyball, Yuuri is flat on his back, completely exhausted and breathing so heavily he could put a panting Makkachin to shame.

 

“I’m not cut out for running,” Yuuri says in between breaths. His words become jumbled and hard to understand. “It’s been six years for chrissake.”

 

Viktor laughs next to him, breathing equally hard with sweat glistening across his forehead. His wet grey t-shirt is hugging his upper body but he still looks fantastic. _Damn him. Damn him for looking so attractive while I look like a fish flopping around for air._

 

Despite how he feels, he quickly catches his breath, being able to sit up straight and calm his breathing in just under a few seconds. Yuuri prides himself in his stamina, for being able to last so long in any situation that includes athleticism.

 

Phichit is sitting against a tree, fingers curled around his phone as if he doesn’t know what to do with himself now. Mari and his other family members are scattered around the area looking as tired as Yuuri feels. The children who he played soccer with are still playing, running around with other children. Yuuri silently congratulates them on their childlike energy, because the adults are almost passed out on the ground.

 

“So,” Nishigori says as he comes to sit down next to them with Yuuko not far behind. “That was fun.”

 

“Yeah it was,” Yuuri says half-heartedly. He’d rather be relaxing on a beach rather than having fun in a park.

 

“Yuuri, you never properly introduced me to your boyfriend here,” Nishigori huffs and sticks out a hand for Viktor to shake. “I’m Takeshi, the other half of the couple who’s wedding you’re here for.”

 

“Viktor,” he gives a dazzling smile.

 

“I’ve known Yuuri for quite a while now. The three of us used to play together as kids,” Nishigori starts, indicating that it’s storytime and everyone around should listen. He looks like a big guy but in reality he’s a sweetheart that loves to tell stories and spend time with children. “I remember how I used to call us ‘the Three Musketeers’.” Yuuri snorts at the memory and Nishigori’s use of air quotes.

 

“Once, we went to an ice rink that’s not far from here. The second we got on the ice, Yuuri fell in love. He was never the same since. Everyday after school, he would run straight to the ice and leave us behind just to skate. He never really played much with other kids because he preferred to be alone. His nose was always stuck in a book, his thoughts were always up in the air, and I was always wondering what was going on in that kid’s head. After high school, Yuuri surprised us by saying that he was leaving to go to school in Detroit and left without any consolation. That was the last I saw of the old Yuuri Katsuki.

 

“Now, Yuuri Katsuki has come home a new man, with a new man,” he gestures to Viktor. “And I couldn’t be happier for him.”

 

“I’m happy for him too,” Yuuko cuts in before Yuuri can say anything. “But I have to ask. How did you two meet?”

 

Phichit immediately pipes up in interest but thankfully stays quiet. Viktor looks at Yuuri with a bashful smile as if they get asked this question all the time.

 

“It’s actually a very interesting story, Yuuko,” Viktor answers. Yuuri’s eyes widen at him, almost as if he’s speaking Russian or some other foreign language.

 

“Oh, I’ve _got_ to hear this!” Mari comes in, sitting in front of the boys, resting the palm of her hand on her chin indicating she’s ready to listen. Minako comes and sits next to her, carefully watching Viktor like a hawk. Yuuri’s parents are there too, practically bouncing with eagerness to hear the story, to know more about his pretend love-life. Yuuri wants to bury his face in his hands, or more preferably, Viktor’s hair, or neck, or chest, or back, or-

 

_Woah there Yuuri, stop it right now._

 

“Where should we start?” Viktor asks, leaning a little too close into Yuuri’s space. Yuuri can’t help but look down at Viktor’s lips for just a fraction of a second because of how close they are. It’s so difficult to keep his thoughts in check at this distance but he says something nonetheless.

 

“Why don’t we start with… the cup,” Yuuri offers.

 

“Ah, yes. The cup,” Viktor blushes like a fucking _pro._ They just came up with this story yesterday and he’s such a good actor, already pretending it’s his favorite memory. Here’s where story time gets so damn interesting, even Yuuri is mesmerized with Viktor’s smooth and silky voice that coats every word with meaning. “I remember it very well. A couple of months ago, around winter time, I had to go to work early in the morning-”

 

“Wait, remind us what you do again, Viktor?” Minako asks, temporarily interrupting the story.

 

“I work in a company owned by my uncle. He invests in small local and internet businesses,” Viktor simply replies. Yuuri wanted to make the lie as believable as possible adding a hint of truth to the mix without actually telling the truth. Viktor had to come across as incredibly likeable and working in a company like that would explain why he’s so charming and attractive.

 

“Anyways,” Yuuri continues for Viktor, adding his own part of the story to make it more realistic. “I was in a coffee shop, typing away on my laptop, when the most beautiful person walks into the room with a confused look on his face.”

 

“I haven’t been to a coffee shop in years and my uncle asks me to get something for him and our co-workers in less in half an hour. I was so clueless, I didn’t know what to do.”

 

“I curiously watched him solve his problem from afar,” Yuuri adds. “He somehow managed to order five cappuccinos and made it look so easy. Then, I got a call from Celestino saying that I had to come into the office because there was a mistake in the printing. So I put away my laptop and stood up, unaware of what was going to happen in a matter of seconds.”

 

Viktor laughs at the fake memory and moves even closer to Yuuri. “I wasn’t looking where I was going,” Viktor defends, making eye contact with everyone listening to the story. “I had four coffees in my right hand and one in my left and I somehow managed to bump into Yuuri here, spilling that one coffee all over my own shirt.”

 

Yuuri groans and bashfully hides behind his hand. “I must have said sorry at least twenty times, I felt so bad.” Viktor lifts up his face and smiles at Yuuri.

 

_If we were an actual couple, I would kiss that look off of your pretty face._

 

“Not only that, but he offered to pay for the spilt coffee, buy me another one, and asked me out on a date without explicitly stating it. I was just happy that I would get to see him again,” Viktor said.

 

“Oh come on, he was cute okay?” There were laughs from their audience which Yuuri takes as a good sign. “I wouldn’t live with myself if I didn’t take that opportunity,” Yuuri tells Viktor truthfully.

 

“What do you mean ‘was cute’?” Viktor suddenly asks with a playful tone and a smirk. Yuuri is pretty sure his own pupils just blew wide open at Viktor’s words. He was so obviously flirting with him, how is Yuuri supposed to respond to that.

 

He gives Viktor his most charming smile, one that is guaranteed to receive a positive reaction from anyone. Viktor sucks in a breath when he sees it, indicating that it worked.

 

“You know you’re still gorgeous Vitya,” he answers. And Viktor is practically sold from that statement alone.

 

“I’m telling you right now,” Viktor directs his attention to Yuuri’s eager family. “If I hadn’t met him that day, my life would have been completely miserable.”

 

There are soft ‘aws’ from everyone that listened to their story. But something tells Yuuri that what Viktor just said wasn’t meant to play the part here.

 

They smile at each other and Yuuri pecks Viktor on the cheek as a sort of thank you for playing along with the story so well.

 

“Aw, Yuuri,” a whine comes from Phichit. “Come on, give him a real kiss!”

 

“Yeah, Yuuri,” Mari agrees. A chant started by Phichit and his sister arises. “Kiss. Him. Kiss. Him. Kiss. Him.”

 

“Geez, you guys are like children. Okay. Okay,” Yuuri says with his heart beat rising to dangerous levels.

 

He leans forward, closes his eyes, and captures those irresistible lips in a kiss, hoping Viktor would return the favor. Viktor’s lips are soft and warm, they’re everything that Yuuri ever imagined, maybe even more. He doesn’t let himself linger for too long but feels as if he can’t help himself. His eyes are closed, trying to focus on the feeling of the lucious lips pressed against his. He tries not to let himself taste, but he has to, not knowing if he’ll ever get the chance to do something like this ever again. The kiss is all heat and light, it’s electric, it’s tender, it’s beautiful. It was definitely worth the tension.

 

Yuuri forces himself to pull away, feeling Viktor’s lips chase his as he moves back, like they’re begging him to stay. They let go and he opens his eyes, feeling dizzy as he pulls away. He doesn’t want to think about his affect on Viktor because if he does, he’s sure that he would drive himself crazy with thoughts that it’s possible for Viktor to become his. _It’s possible_ , he hopes. But no, it’s not possible. Because Viktor is an escort, it’s his job to make people believe whatever they want.

 

“Woah,” Yuuko’s voice cuts into Yuuri’s thoughts. “You guys are putting us to shame!” Viktor snaps out of a trance-like state, eyes heavy with something unintelligible after the kiss. “Remember _we’re_ supposed to be the ones getting married!” She laughs.

 

Yuuri gives a small laugh. He knows that she’s only joking. In the corner of his eye Phichit gives him a thumbs up with one hand and holds his phone in the other. That boy, never an inch away from his phone.

 

He looks at Viktor beside him, catching a glimpse of something that Yuuri can’t quite put his finger on. Viktor slips back on a mask with a soft smile falling on his face. Yuuri mouths a thank you to Viktor in which he responds with a nod. Their fingers are intertwined with each other and their shoulders are touching.

 

Why do his cheeks still feel like they’re engulfed in flames? Why does he feel like there was something missing in his life and now he feels complete? Why does he feel like he finally,  _finally_ , belongs?

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully you all liked this chapter!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever felt so excited to create something and then when the time comes, nothing turns out to be the way you wanted, thus creating procrastination? Yes, that was me this past week but I tried my best to make it as beautiful as possible. This chapter holds a special place in my heart because I love the way it turned out so much!
> 
> Thanks again to my friend deeyosa who drew the after kiss scene of last chapter! You can find her gorgeous artwork on twitter [here](https://twitter.com/_deeyosa/status/887045902518501376)  
> or on tumblr [here](https://deeyosa.tumblr.com/post/163122046109/wise-men-say-only-fools-rush-in-but-i-cant-help)
> 
> I'd also like to thank whoever recommended my fic in Hailey's tumblr fan rec Friday! [here](http://victuurificrec.tumblr.com/post/162995729423/yoi-fan-rec-friday)
> 
> I also may have taken a couple lines from the movie and added my favorite scene. And a scene from the original YOI show. Hope you like it!

 

 

“Oh no, Yuuri, you can't wear that to the party.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because that is the ugliest tie I’ve ever seen in my entire life and it doesn't deserve to be in any form of contact with you.”

 

“Viktor, you're being overdramatic.”

 

“No, I’m being serious! It's so hideous that I'm going to burn it so that you'll never see it ever again.”

 

Viktor untied the length of fabric around Yuuri’s neck and hid it from Yuuri, forcing him to put something else on.

 

“I'm doing you a favor Yuuri.” Viktor throws the tie on the bed and then sat on it to prevent Yuuri from grabbing it back.

 

“Hey! I kind of liked that tie!”

 

“Not anymore,” Viktor said with a smirk. _Oh yeah, that tie is definitely going to disappear off the face of the Earth. And there's nothing I can do to stop him._ Yuuri rolls his eyes and returns to shift around his closet, looking for a replacement tie that Viktor wouldn't rip off of him.

 

He finds a plain red one and holds it up so Viktor can see. “What about this one?”

 

Viktor cringes. “It looks like a candy apple.”

 

“You say that like it's a bad thing.”

 

“Because it is a bad thing. Yuuri, you don't have very good taste in fashion.” Viktor stands up and walks over to him, brushing off dog hair from Yuuri’s suit. “Luckily, you have me to help you through your fashion crisis.”

 

“I'm not having a fashion crisis,” Yuuri defends, knowing that he's fighting a losing battle.

 

“Darling,” Victor starts slowly. “do you think that you could fool people with your adorable good looks and they would look past the ugly tie that you were just about to walk out with?”

 

“Oh really?” Yuuri raised his eyebrows at him, completely ignoring the fact that Viktor called him adorable. “You literally told me a few hours after we met, and I quote, ‘If you look people in the eye, they're not even gonna notice what you have on.’”

 

“I-” Viktor starts with his index finger risen to prove Yuuri wrong. “You- ugh. Touché. But that doesn't mean that you should just put on that awful tie.”

 

Viktor walks over to his suitcase that was pushed under the bed, deciding to take matters into his own hands. He pulls it out and starts rummaging through his own piles of clothes, looking for something that he's set his mind to find. He makes a noise of approval and pulls out a navy blue tie, proudly bringing it over to Yuuri.

 

“ _This_ , is a beautiful piece for you to wear,” he says offering it to Yuuri.

 

“Oh, no. I can't take this. It's yours.”

 

“I know, but I'm lending it to you. You can give it back to me whenever you feel like it. Now turn around,” he orders.

 

Yuuri obediently turns, his mouth shut to prevent himself from saying anything else. Viktor drapes the fabric around Yuuri's popped up white collar. Trying to make both ends even, Viktor moves over to the front of Yuuri, making the younger man suck in a quick breath. Viktor’s hands are careful, his eyes are focused, and his eyebrows are scrunched up giving him a determined look on his face.

 

Yuuri’s eyes follow the lines on Viktor’s face. He lands on his perfectly sculpted lips and he feels himself shiver at the memory of the kiss. There’s still a tingle in his own lips even an hour after what happened. He can't seem to stop thinking about it. Was it good for him too? Or was it average compared to all the other clients he’s escorted before? At this thought, a wave of jealousy floods through Yuuri, not making any sense to him. How can he be jealous of someone he’s never met before? Of the _crowds_ of people he's never met before? There's a burning inferno ignited in his heart and there's nothing he can do to stop it.

 

Thoughts of Viktor spending time with others makes Yuuri feel sick to his stomach. _Why? Why am I thinking this way? It's Viktor’s job to escort other people. That's why he's here._ Yuuri can’t help but feel worthless, like he's just another client to Viktor who would move on after the wedding and leave Yuuri behind. Like nothing happened. Like he did to everyone before him.

 

His thoughts must have shown on his face because Viktor raises an eyebrow. “Is the tie uncomfortable?”

 

“No,” Yuuri assures him, wishing – not for the first time – that his emotions would stay in check and it won't have to show on his face. “The tie is fine.”

 

“You look troubled,” Viktor pulls the knot closer to the collar and stands back to admire his work. “Is something bothering you?”

 

“Everything is fine Viktor.” There's no way he would ever tell Viktor these thoughts. The second Viktor would hear them, he would say something like, 'darling that's not true,’ or something equally dripping with lies and then just brush off the rest of what Yuuri said because it doesn't mean anything to him. There's no reason for him to think too much over Yuuri's irrelevant feelings.

 

He knows it’s not Viktor’s fault. Viktor has been nothing but kind and loving and accepting but he can’t help but think that escorts are supposed to be all of these things. It’s Viktor’s job is to help him through the week and never see him again. His job is to make people believe whatever they want to believe, making Viktor one of the best actors in his business. _No wonder my family thinks that we're in love, he’s an actor. Oh my god, I'm such an idiot to believe that kiss ever meant something to him just as much as it meant to me!_ He’s practically fuming now, his only thought is to flee so that Viktor won't have to see his thoughts overload.

 

“You don't look fine Yuuri. Do you want to sit down?” Viktor’s eyebrows scrunch up again into a questioning look and Yuuri almost, _almost_ , believes the concern on his face.

 

“I said I'm _fine_ Viktor,” Yuuri says, careful not to let any venom into his words. As much as he let these thoughts hurt himself, he doesn't want to hurt Viktor with them. It's the least he can do after all that's happened so far. “We should probably go now.”

 

He then mutters a thank you for the tie and leaves Viktor behind in his childhood room, full of questions and confusion about what just happened.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Have you ever been attracted to your other clients?” Yuuri asks out of the blue.

 

“Sorry?”

 

“Have you. Ever been. Attracted. To other clients?”

 

Viktor raises an eyebrow. “Why do you want to know?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Yuuri feigns nonchalance. “I’m just curious.”

 

Viktor may have only met Yuuri yesterday but he feels as if he’s known him for longer. He definitely knows that look. He knows the cause of that look. It’s Yuuri’s greatest enemy: overthinking. He’s not sure about Yuuri’s exact thoughts but he knows that it’s practically eating Yuuri up on the inside. Unfortunately, he’s not quite sure how to make Yuuri calm the incessant thoughts that float around through his mind.

 

He wants to tell him the truth, he wants to say that the answer is: ‘no, I’ve never been attracted to other clients’, but it’s really quite difficult because he would put even more pressure on this sensitive relationship that has been created.

 

“I know you’re curious Yuuri. But I’m afraid that I can’t tell you about other clients. It’s part of the rules.”

 

“You can tell me.”

 

“No Yuuri,” Viktor playfully smiles to lighten the mood. “I really can’t tell you.”

 

“Who am I gonna tell?”

 

“Well, Phichit would be a priority.”

 

“Oh come on, please?” Yuuri pouts. Viktor just shakes his head no. “Fine. How many of them want to sleep with you?”

 

Viktor whistles. “That’s a sensitive topic Yuuri.”

 

“Then you must have a signature move or something,” he presses. Viktor realizes that Yuuri can be quite stubborn when it comes to finding answers and adding on to information he so desperately needs.

 

“Nope.”

 

“You’re like… the Casanova of escorts. You must have some kind of move,” Yuuri tells him with a playful grin. “Getting you on the phone was harder than getting into college.”

 

“Was it really that hard?”

 

Yuuri gives him a look. “Please answer my question.”

 

“I don't have any moves or anything,” Viktor says, trying to answer the most recent question in the simplest possible way. “It's way more…” he snaps his fingers as if that would make it easier to come up with the right word for what he needs to describe.

 

“Subtle?”

 

“I guess,” he shrugs. “It's a bit hard to explain.”

 

“Show me.”

 

Viktor shakes his head. “Not really.”

 

“Show me,” Yuuri repeats.

 

“What's that word? What's that word that reminds me of this? Hmm,” Viktor taps his finger on his chin thoughtfully. “Oh, that's right. It's 'morally repugnant’.”

 

Yuuri laughs. “Seriously. Show me.”

 

Viktor sighs, deciding that no matter what he says, he’ll have to give in eventually. This beautiful person has requested a move and therefore he'll get a move.

 

He gently pushes Yuuri against the car door that’s parked outside of the bachelor party bar. It was sudden but firm, as if Viktor is now serious and about to show Yuuri what he really does for a living. Yuuri’s eyes widen, surprised at the movement. Viktor leans into his personal space and Yuuri backs away, far enough that his back lying against the car door.

 

“Close your eyes,” Viktor commands.

 

Yuuri nervously looks around. Looking anywhere but at Viktor.

 

“Close your eyes,” Viktor commands again.

 

Yuuri hesitates but Viktor softly grabs his cheek, forcing Yuuri to stare into his ocean blue ones.

 

After every word, Viktor gets closer and closer to Yuuri. “Close. Your. Eyes,” his voice smooths into Yuuri’s skin, and he finally, _finally_ , flutters his eyes closed.

 

As Viktor speaks, he makes sure his voice reaches every inch of Yuuri’s face. “Relax Yuuri.” He moves to Yuuri’s right eye then his left. “You’re safe,” he promises, moving from one soft left cheek to the other. “I'm _not_ going to kiss you.” He feels Yuuri violently shiver underneath his grasp. “Shhh. It's okay.”

 

He hovers over Yuuri's mouth, holding his lips just inches away, one hand cupping Yuuri's cheek and the other sliding into a relaxed hold on the curve of his waist. “Trust me Yuuri,” he makes sure put extra emphasis on the second 'u’, knowing very well what saying his name does to him. “Just listen to my voice. Listen. Carefully.” Yuuri completely slumps against the car door and Viktor simply smiles at his ease of control.

 

“I need you to take deep breaths in with me. Can you do that darling? Breathe in and breathe out. Ready?” Yuuri nods weakly, his chest moving up and down with relaxed breaths. They breathe in each other's air. This feeling that comes from such a simple action… it's just. So intimate.

 

“You are amazing,” Viktor moves his voice along the bridge of Yuuri’s nose and gently moves the hand that's resting on his cheek and guides it behind Yuuri’s neck, making his throat completely vulnerable. “You are the most beautiful man I have ever seen. You are smart, kind, funny, talented,” He slowly says along Yuuri’s jaw.

 

These next words are the most important part of this whole experience. So he closes his eyes as well, and starts from the bottom of Yuuri's throat, dragging his face along the smooth lines of the throat, painfully slow. “I need you… to let go of the hurt and the insecurity. I need you… to forget the past. And forget the future. If you do that, you'll see you the way _I_ see you.” Viktor reached the top of his throat, then makes his way across Yuuri's full, kissable lips. “And remember… tonight is _your_ night.” He finishes his last sentence and backs away, giving Yuuri a chance to breathe.

 

Yuuri shudders and opens his eyes with his pupils blown wide open.

 

“Holy crap,” he blinks, his eyes open but not seeing anything. “You're worth every penny.”

 

Viktor gives him a small smile that Yuuri doesn't quite see. “We should probably go inside now.”

 

Yuuri nods, frozen in his place. “Okay Casanova.”

 

He attempts a step forward and slightly loses his balance, reclaiming it with the other foot. Viktor watches and turns him in the right direction, silently chuckling to himself. An almost dopey look on Yuuri’s face appears as they walk into the bar side by side.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Intoxicated is a really ironic name for a bar isn’t it?” Viktor brings up once they step inside. “Out of all of my visits to California, I have never been here before.”

 

Yuuri says nothing. He’s still dazed from Viktor’s hypnotizing powers earlier. With every one of Viktor’s movements, Yuuri felt his mind and body start to lose itself even more. There was a complete loss of control on his body and his self deprecating thoughts from earlier had disappeared. For now.

 

Inside, the party was just getting started. Dark lighting falls onto the piling crowd of men ready to drink their hearts out, the wall behind the bar is stacked to the brim with bottles of all types, there’s a smooth dance floor with a booming DJ on the edge, and a stripper pole in the right corner of the room.

 

“Hi Yuuri! Hi Viktor!” Phichit immediately comes over to greet them. “Come here, I want to to meet Seung-gil!” he takes Yuuri by the hand and drags him by the arm to another part of the floor. Yuuri gives Viktor a look that says, 'please help’. His escort laughs in response and follows after the friends.

 

They come across a serious looking Korean guy who is clutching a glass of whiskey to his chest.

 

“Seung-gil, this is my best friend Yuuri and his boyfriend Viktor,” Phichit grabs a hold of Seung-gil’s shoulder. “Yuuri works with me in New York too!”

 

Seung-gil looks up and down at the Japanese man with an analytical gaze that makes Yuuri uncomfortable. He shakes his head and asks what sounds like a rhetorical question, “Do I get any benefit out of being friendly with you?” He then leaves without another word to any of them and goes to the bar to get another refill.

 

“He seems… distant,” Yuuri says, careful with his word choice.

 

“I know.”

 

“How did he even agree to come here?” Viktor asks.

 

“I'm not sure,” Phichit laughs nervously, running his hand through the back of his hair. “Maybe it's because he wanted a break from work and knew there were free drinks involved?”

 

“That could be it,” Yuuri nods. “Or maybe because you can easily persuade even the most serious of men to remain by your side or even at your disposal!” He dramatically throws the back of his hand on his forehead, giggling at his own joke.

 

“Very funny Katsuki, but I’ve got a good feeling that something’s gonna happen tonight. Now what’s gonna happen I have no idea, but I want to wait and see ‘til he gets drunk.”

 

“Why?” Viktor asks.

 

“You know how there’s different types of drunks?” Yuuri nods. He’s very familiar with types of drunks because he’s dealt with all kinds. “There’s the fun drunk, the affectionate drunk, the drunk that always wants to start fights, and the drunk that pretty much stays the same no matter how many drinks are in their system. My friend Yuuri here, is a mixture of the fun and affectionate drunk.”

 

“What-”

 

“Oh my god, Viktor, did I ever tell you about that one time senior year in college when Yuuri got really drunk? There was a really _really_ good looking cop who comes to our party. Now this guy was an off-duty cop and looks young enough to get into a college party, right? Yuuri has a few drinks in his system and the second he sees the guy, he goes up to him and says-” Yuuri slaps a hand on Phichit’s mouth to prevent him from saying anything else. Viktor doesn’t need to know about his college days. Phichit mumbles something against Yuuri’s hand. “Yuuri you always do this to me. At least let me finish the story. It was absolutely hilarious!”

 

“Oh yeah? Phichit here takes about a million selfies a day and uploads them to Instagram, even when he’s flat out drunk. Oh, and he’s also the kind of drunk that is _so_ affectionate, he practically sticks to you like velcro!”

 

“At least I didn’t rip off my clothes in the middle of a party and started screaming.”

 

“At least _I_ didn’t post a drunk picture of myself on Instagram and have it viewed by thousands of followers only to have a hundred of them unfollow you,” Yuuri fights back.

 

“At least I didn’t get a black eye when I was fighting someone over a dog.”

 

“At least I didn’t pour champagne all over myself when I-”

 

“Yuuri that was you,” Phichit interrupted their conversation.

 

“What?”

 

“You did that.”

 

“I did?”

 

“Yeah you don’t remember?” Phichit then pulls out his phone and scrolls through his camera roll searching for something. “Ah ha! I found it! Viktor do you want to see?”

 

“Alright that’s enough of this pointless argument,” Yuuri throws up his hands in defeat and grabs Viktor by the arm. “I’m gonna get myself a drink. Come with me Viktor.”

 

“Wait, I want to know what happened with the champagne and the cop story!”

 

“Trust me Vitya. You don’t want to know.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

A familiar figure stands behind the bar with his back facing the public. His body moves back and forth as he shakes a dry martini then pours it into a glass, placing an olive into the drink, and turns around to hand it to a young man with floppy brown hair sitting on a stool. The two toned blonde bartender winks at the man he just gave the drink to and slides over to the next customer who recognized him immediately.

 

“Christophe?” Viktor asks, squinting his eyes at the bartender.

 

“Yes?” He asks and locks eyes with one of his best friends. “Viktor?”

 

Christophe leans over the counter with his arms spread open and Viktor copies the movement, giving each other the biggest hug they can possibly give.

 

“Why are you here?” Viktor asks. “Not that I don't want to see you but I thought you were in Florida!”

 

“I own this bar Viktor. I thought I told you?” Christophe looks at him with his hazel eyes sparkling. “It looks like your terrible memory still serves you well,” he chuckled. “I'm here because I got a call saying there would be a bachelor party and you know I can't miss those, they’re my absolute favorite! But why are _you_ here?”

 

“I'm here with Yuuri, my boyfriend,” Viktor wraps an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, bringing him closer to his body. Yuuri blushes a little at the contact and goes back to sipping a mojito through a green straw.

 

“Your boyfriend huh?” Christophe smirks at him and then turns his attention to Yuuri. He sticks out his hand waiting for Yuuri to take it, then immediately presses Yuuri's hand to his lips. “ _Enchanté monsieur_.”

 

Viktor feels a small uncomfortable flip in his stomach at the sight. Christophe is naturally flirtatious, this is the way he approaches people. He would always kiss their hand if they were exceptionally attractive. Chris's flirtatious abilities often don't faze Viktor, but once he made contact with Yuuri’s hand, something didn't feel quite right. Luckily for him, Yuuri pulls his hand back and rests it on Viktor’s thigh, making him feel slightly better about himself.

 

“So, my dear friend, what can I get you?”

 

“I need a couple of glasses of champagne,” Yuuri asks before Viktor can say anything.

 

“Of course,” Chris promises. “Right away.”

 

Viktor looks at Yuuri. The Japanese man seems a bit lost in his own world. He's become a victim to his own brain and no amount of what Viktor can say would bring him out of it. He hopes he can provide an escape, so he asks, “What do you want to do?”

 

“I don't know. Maybe dance? It's been a while.”

 

“Ok, sure.” Viktor agrees, confident about the high quality of his dancing abilities. “Would you like me to come with you?”

 

“Not now,” Yuuri says when Christophe gives him a flute filled with champagne, he then motions for 3 more flutes and Chris has no choice but to oblige. Viktor hopes the disappointment doesn’t show on his face but he waits for Yuuri to finish his drinks, eager to listen to whatever else he has to say. “But once I get a couple of flutes in, I want you to watch me.”

 

“What?”

 

Viktor is surprised at the sudden pull of his tie and a confident fire in Yuuri’s eyes. They’re forehead to forehead and Viktor can’t help but blush at their proximity. “Never take your eyes off of me,” Yuuri demanded. He turns away downing the fifth flute of champagne and stands up with the most determined look on his face.

 

 _Oh, but my dear Yuuri._ Viktor thinks towards him as Yuuri walks towards the dancefloor without looking back _. I’ve been keeping that promise since the first moment I laid eyes on you._

 

 

* * *

 

 

Yuuri has no idea what possessed him to drink so many champagne flutes. And he also has no idea how his pants ended up on the floor or how his shirt ended up half unbuttoned. It's amazing what kind of confidence he gains whenever alcohol is buzzing through his system.

 

The booming of the music that’s playing overhead immediately slows in his mind as he heads to the pole that’s practically begging him to be danced on. The second he touched the cold metal, his memories of the pole dancing classes he had been forced to take in college have come flooding back to him. He circled around the metal, keeping his gaze on Viktor who is closely watching his every move.

 

Yuuri swings his hips to the music, trying to make himself look as sexy as possible. With his back against the pole, he closes his eyes, bringing both hands to trace his body, allowing himself to give a small smile. One thing was for sure, he definitely received more attention than what he bargained for.

 

He turned elegantly, moving his body in tune to the music. There was a kind of confidence to his movements, like he was someone who shouldn’t be underestimated. It didn’t matter that there were multiple eyes on him, their thoughts didn’t matter to him. The only person he cares about is Viktor. And the pleasure that came from Viktor’s eyes on him and _only_ him, made Yuuri mentally dedicate this dance to him. The warmth in his chest heightened his dancing abilities, moving as slowly and as beautifully as he can. He decided to just let go and let the dance consume him. No worries. No pain. No thoughts. Just his body and the music.The dance was perfect; everything from his breathing to how he twirled in sync to the music.

 

Suddenly, he feels warmth of something else. Some _one_ else. The blonde haired man Viktor introduced him to earlier, is half naked and twirling opposite Yuuri.

 

“Chris!” he exclaimed happily.

 

“Where did you get your moves, Yuuri?” Christophe swirls his hips, producing a more mature, sexual movement to the dance.

 

“Phichit forced me to take pole dancing classes!”

 

“No wonder you’re so adept at this. Viktor must be a lucky man,” Chris points out, bringing Yuuri closer to him as they dance like they’ve been rehearsing for months.

 

Christophe guided him against the pole as if they were in a dream, he knew exactly what to do and what moves to make. Every moment, every angle felt like it had been planned _weeks_ in advance. Nothing was ever forced, it was almost as if they were floating towards the top of the pole. Yuuri switched places with Chris, deciding to take the lead. Yuuri's strong arms support Chris, who looks surprised at the strength of the other man. Chris’s body slumps into Yuuri, yet he somehow manages to strike a beautiful pose. Chris does the splits in midair with only one arm gripping the pole and Yuuri takes off the unbuttoned shirt, leaving only his underwear, socks, and Viktor’s tie behind, achieving a little gasp from Viktor as he stands on top of Chris’s split positioned legs.

 

Once Yuuri lowers himself, he whispers to Chris, “everyone is watching us.”

 

At this, Chris chuckles and responds. “Of course they are. This is art in the making!”

 

Yuuri gives one more twirl around the pole and then hands the spotlight over to the very eager Christophe, who looks just about ready to take off his underwear and dance naked.

 

Yuuri laughs at his new pole dancing partner and picks up the articles of clothing he stripped off during the dance. He looks back at Chris, who makes poledancing look absolutely sinful, as he adds his own spin with difficult looking movements. He's amazed at Chris's flexibility and ability to make pole dancing look like an act in the bedroom.

 

Of course, there's only so much dancing that someone can take. Christophe lowers himself down to the floor once the music ends and he retrieves his clothes as well. Breathing heavily, he grabs Yuuri by the shoulders and brings him closer to his body in a hug. Their audience applauded loudly, complete with cheers and whistles. Both Chris and Yuuri took their bows and stepped away to put their clothes back on.

 

“Yuuri, Chris! That was fucking awesome!” Phichit cheered putting his phone away in his pocket to hug his best friend. After Yuuri, he wraps his arms around Chris in a hug too, making the Swiss man smile and blush the slightest shade of pink. It could have also been the blood flowing to his cheeks after the dance but Yuuri chooses not to notice. Phichit backs away from the hug and looks at both of them. “I'm so glad I got that on video!”

 

Yuuri was about to say something in response but feels arms coming from behind wrap around his body, making him squeak in surprise. “That was amazing Yuuri,” Viktor’s smooth voice floats straight into his right ear. “I never took my eyes off of you.”

 

Yuuri flushes under Viktor's gaze. There's a new look in his escort’s eyes, similar to the one after they kissed for the first time as well as the moment outside of the car before they entered the party. It stays there for quite a while but disappears again when Chris comes over to hug Viktor.

 

“Viktor, can you believe that Yuuri here took pole dancing classes? No wonder he looked so sexy up there!” Chris points out to Viktor, who looks back at Yuuri with surprise on his face.

 

“You took pole dancing classes?” Viktor asks with an eyebrow raised.

 

“Uh-”

 

“Hell yeah he did!” Phichit speaks for him. “It was my idea!”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes,” Yuuri gives Phichit a look that says 'I can speak on my own’. “It was a class offered in college. Phichit forced me to take it but in the end I ended up liking it? A lot? And it's also a good workout?” his voice raising up in questions that had no need to be answered.

 

“Wow,” Viktor says with a small smile on his face but deciding not to say anything else.

 

“You're welcome,” Phichit tells the couple that refuse to break their gaze from each other. “It's amazing what one single class can do huh?”

 

“You're right,” Viktor says without tearing his gaze away from Yuuri. “It really is amazing.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

An hour later and a couple shots of tequila in, Viktor starts to feel a little something. Phichit asked his best friend to go out on the floor and dance with him, giving Viktor a chance to relax at the bar. Christophe has taken his place behind the bar and approaches Viktor, placing his elbows on the counter.

 

Viktor watches Yuuri from a distance, still keeping his promise from earlier about never taking his eyes off of Yuuri. There's this constant feeling in the pit of his chest whenever he looks at Yuuri. It makes him feel like a child again, young, carefree, and full of life. He would gladly spend the rest of his life looking at Yuuri and he would never get bored. It's then when he realizes something. Something that he should have realized a long time ago.

 

“Chris, I need your help.” He turns to grab Christophe’s shoulders, temporarily breaking his promise, and trying not to let his desperation show on his face. Right now, Chris is the only person in the world who would possibly help him through his very obvious suffering.

 

“What is it _mon ami_?”

 

Viktor hesitates when asking the question that’s been bothering him the moment he first laid eyes on Yuuri. “H-have you ever been… sexually… attracted to a- um. A client before?” _What kind of stupid question is that, Viktor? Of course he has, he’s Christophe! His sex appeal is all over the place! It was even evident when he was dancing with Yuuri earlier!_

 

Chris raises an eyebrow making him look genuinely confused. “Viktor, what are you talking about?”

 

Viktor opens his mouth to say something but finds that he can't repeat the question and instead says something else. “I think, this is the first time where I’ve um… fallen… for a client.”

 

“Really? Are you sure Viktor?”

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Yuuri laughing with Phichit, wrapping an arm around the other’s shoulder in order to keep his balance. They're swaying back and forth to the booming music that's playing overhead. The carefree look on Yuuri's face is absolutely beautiful and Viktor can't make myself look away. His sweat stained shirt is halfway unbuttoned once again with Viktor’s tie is wrapped around his forehead. Yuuri still looks as loving as he did the moment Viktor first laid eyes on him.

 

Almost as if Yuuri felt the weight of Viktor's gaze, he makes eye contact with him and drunkenly winks. Viktor's heart nearly stopped beating at the sight.

 

“Holy shit,” Christophe breathes once he sees the small exchange between the couple. “You _are_ in love.”

 

“What the hell am I gonna do?” Viktor groans and placed his head in both hands. “He’s the most wonderful angel in the world and I'm practically dying over here.”

 

Christophe smirks at him. “I know Viktor, I can see it in your eyes whenever you look at him. In all of my years of friendship with you, I have never seen you look so… at ease with someone.” His eyes flick over at Yuuri. “Even if they are one of your clients.”

 

“Has this ever happened to you before?” Viktor asks, curious to see how Chris had solved a problem similar to this.

 

“Hmm,” he looks off into the distance, deeply thinking about his escort affairs. “There were plenty of clients that I would have liked to have gone further with, but I’m sure you wouldn’t want to hear about those.”

 

Viktor groaned. “I just don’t know what to do.”

 

“Viktor, it’s obvious. You like him, he likes you. It’s not that difficult.” Chris tells him, almost as if he’s making fun of Viktor for standing here instead of going out on the dancefloor. “What are you waiting for?”

 

 _Well, Chris. There's a big chance that I'm going to get fired when we go back to Florida._ If he flirted, kissed, or did _anything_ with Yuuri for free, he's absolutely positive that Yakov would skin him alive and pin him up on his wall as a reminder to other escorts of what not to do. Not only is he risking his job, but also Yuuri’s sensitive feelings, his relationship with his family, this fake-relationship that they’ve created, and so much more.

 

But knowing that Yuuri is there, that his lovely hips move to the music, that he would pull Viktor closer to that sinful body, pressing him closer and closer, close enough to feel every single inch of his body, is definitely enough to get fired over. _Yeah. Yuuri is definitely worth getting fired over._ Viktor feels a growl lodging in his throat. He should be the one dancing with Yuuri. Not Phichit. Not Chris. Not anyone else. Ever.

 

“I'm going to dance with him.”

 

Christophe smiles. “Hell yeah you are.” He hands Viktor a shot of tequila. Viktor gratefully accepted the liquid courage and downed the shot in a single gulp. He slams the glass back onto the bar, wipes the back of his hand across his mouth, and shakes his head back and forth, feeling a little shiver go down his spine at the strength of the alcohol. Christophe reaches over, places both hands on the back of Viktor’s shoulders and looks him in the eyes. “You deserve this. You deserve _him_.” Those were the best words of encouragement that he had ever received in his life.

 

Chris lets go of Viktor’s shoulder, giving himself a break from being a bartender, and comes over to his side. He slaps Viktor on the ass. “Go get him tiger!”

 

He _wants_ Yuuri so badly. More badly than anything he’s ever wanted in his entire life. He should have known this would happen eventually, he should have known that his loneliness was going to eat him alive. It’s so obvious that he needs this, he needs to feel something, he needs to feel the touch of someone that actually cares about _him_ and not just his appearance or the fact that he’s an escort. But what he needs so much more than just to satisfy his longing, what he _wants_ , is Yuuri, and only Yuuri.

 

The countless amount of days spent with nothing, waking up alone everyday, being isolated from the world, feeling like there’s nothing worth living for, it’s been too long for Viktor. He rarely gets what he wants and he doesn’t let himself because his whole life had been dedicated to helping people, giving them whatever they want, but never having the chance to indulge himself.

 

He looks at Chris again who gave him a smile and two thumbs up, making Viktor feel a bit better about himself. At least his friend has his back. Viktor plunges into the crowd, determined to do what _he_ wants for once in his life.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Yuuri feels as if he’s about to explode. He can barely stand still, his body is overcome with nerves and not even dancing with his best friend or even 14 glasses of champagne can help him. When Christophe takes a break and comes over to dance with them, he’s surprised at the way Phichit’s eyes light up at the sight of the Swiss man. He looks around for Seung-gil and finds him at the bar looking completely embarrassed and like he wants to drink away his problems. _You and me both, Seung-gil_.

 

His mind keeps over complicating even the simplest of thoughts. Today, he decided that he has had enough of it. He knows he shouldn’t drink so much, he knows that he’s going to end up embarrassing himself, but he can’t find it in himself to care. He’s tired and lonely and badly wants to lose himself in Viktor’s warmth or else he’s going to fall apart.

 

A hand grazes his shoulder and he breathes a sigh of relief. Yuuri turns expecting to find that handsome face that he loves so much but he frowns, finding that it’s not at all who he expected. Some brunette guy whose name he can’t remember. Was it Alex or Mark? Whatever the guy’s name  was, it’s not important because it’s not Viktor.

 

“You’re fucking gorgeous,” Alex slurs as he wraps both arms around Yuuri’s neck and sways to the music, inviting Yuuri to do the same. “And the way you danced on that pole with Chris?” He starts to get a little too close to Yuuri, close enough that Yuuri can see his beer stained teeth.

 

 _Who the hell invited this guy?_ Yuuri thinks to himself. Apparently it wasn’t a thought because the guy looks offended. “I’m Nishigori’s friend from college. Not that you would know. You were never even here.”

 

 _Oh fuck, not this again._ “Look man, did you not see my sexy boyfriend? I’m taken,” Yuuri yells over the loud music. This dude doesn’t get the memo because he just keeps getting closer to Yuuri, so close that he’s practically giving him an unwanted lapdance. “Why don’t you go dance with Nishigori or something?” He pushes him away but Alex has got a vice grip on Yuuri’s shoulders.

 

“But I want to dance with _you_!” the guy whines, moving the vice grip on Yuuri’s shoulders to Yuuri’s hips. Yuuri makes a noise of disgust and is pretty sure it shows on his face.

 

Then there’s something that sounds like a growl, loud enough to grab the attention of anyone that’s nearby. Uncomfortableness is replaced with relief once Yuuri realizes who that voice belonged to. He smiles at the sound.

 

Viktor stands behind Alex, a look on his face that screams predatory and possessiveness. There’s a dangerously hot smirk on his face making him look really pissed off but Yuuri can’t help but feel a little turned on by this version of jealous boyfriend Viktor. Alex laughs at Viktor’s expression but lets go of Yuuri’s hips.

 

“The man you want to dance with is _mine_ ,” Viktor growls taking his place next to Yuuri, forcing Alex to back away like a scared animal with a tail between his legs. Viktor’s strong hand slides around Yuuri’s waist which causes him to give out a small whimper. He can get used to this territorial Viktor. He absolutely loves this look in his eyes. The guy leaves, clearly aware of the atmosphere he had created, and goes to the bar for another drink.

 

“Viktor!” Phichit’s voice comes into focus. Yuuri looks around at the small audience that they have acquired. He feels a small flush of embarrassment that so many people saw the dispute. They cheered when Viktor came in as the ‘knight in shining armor’ and eagerly watch what's about to happen next. “Mark your territory! You just gonna let that guy get away with that?”

 

“No. I’m not,” Viktor grabs both sides of Yuuri’s face, his fingertips burning into his cheeks, his ocean blue eyes aflame. He pulls Yuuri closer, rendering him speechless. “Because nobody puts Yuuri in a corner.” _Did he just quote Dirty Dancing_? a small thought enters Yuuri’s drunk brain. But Yuuri can’t bring himself to care.

 

Viktor is kissing him with all he has, pressing his entire body against Yuuri so he feels the sincere passion and heat that passes between them. Their chests collide and Yuuri feels his stomach do somersaults as he concentrates on the infinite amount of sensations that flow through the kiss. Viktor deepens it, clearly liking what he tastes, his tongue flicking out past their lips, joining with Yuuri’s. He moves his hands from Yuuri’s face to trace the curves of his back, making Yuuri shiver and buck his hips towards Viktor.

 

Yuuri gains more confidence, moving his own hands to curl against Viktor’s soft silver hair, holding his head in place making it easier for his tongue to explore. Viktor moans at the pull, and Yuuri drinks up the sinful noise, pulling a little harder. His heart is fluttering in his chest like the wings of a hummingbird. Then Viktor slides his leg between Yuuri’s and he’s an absolute goner. They’re both holding on for dear life, pulling each other closer and closer, practically grinding into each other. Yuuri is unable to think, the only comprehensible thought that is repeated in his head like a mantra is Viktor’s name. He’s never been kissed like this before and the need for more is like sweet torture.

 

They’re persistent, moving against each other like a kind of lustful tango, in front of _everyone_. He doesn’t care that they’re watching, he doesn’t care that there have been wolf whistles the whole time during their heavy makeout session, and he especially doesn’t care that Viktor can feel how hard his is. He’s wanted this for so long, and now that he’s had a taste, he doesn’t think he can ever let go. And because Viktor initiated the kiss, Yuuri allowed himself to explore further, his hands find their way under Viktor’s shirt, freely touching the smooth skin that hides underneath. Viktor shivers and groans as Yuuri travels lower and squeezes the firm ass that waits for him. He gasps against Yuuri’s mouth and oh, how he wishes they were alone and naked right now. The small noises Viktor makes are full of pleasure and he slightly bites down on Yuuri’s lips without warning making him gasp.

 

Yuuri lets himself pull away mostly because he needs to breathe but partly because he wants to see if Viktor looks as undone as he feels. Sure enough, Viktor is panting just as heavily as Yuuri, looking perfectly happy to continue, and ready for round two. He’s still pressed tightly against him and the look in his eyes are full of lust. Knowing himself, Yuuri thinks that look is probably reflected in his own eyes.

 

“Woah,” Yuuri breathes. Viktor smiles at him, adding a hint of adoration to his eyes. _Is it possible to be even more turned on right now?_

 

“Oh my god,” Phichit says as he elbows Chris's upper arm and points at the couple. “Can you believe Yuuri gets to sleep with this guy? Honestly, he should send God a gift basket or something.” They clink their glasses of champagne together, as if this is an event worth celebrating.

 

“Hey Yuuri?” Chris attempts to get his attention. Yuuri looks over, still in Viktor’s arms, waiting for whatever Christophe needs to say. “You better send me that goddamn gift basket.”

 

Everyone broke out in laughter. Chris and Phichit are standing next to each other, Chris’s arm resting on Phichit’s shoulder, drunkenly pulling him closer to his side. Yuuri watches, happy that their friends are getting along so well. He turns back to look at the man in his arms, and smiles up at him, feeling completely overwhelmed with a new emotion that flows through him. He silently thanks the fates for allowing him to meet this amazing person and is definitely thinking about sending his friends a bottle of wine or something equally nice as a thank you.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After a few hours and a couple more drinks, it’s time for everyone to go home. Nishigori was incredibly smart and decided to call a limo service, that way drunks won’t flood the streets and everyone would get home safely.

 

The entire time was spent dancing, drinking, and of course the boys got incredibly protective of one another whenever anyone asked either of them for a dance. They never left each other’s sight and were practically stuck together like glue. There were also many heated makeout sessions that left Yuuri’s lips so bruised that future him will definitely thank him in the morning. Viktor was genuinely enthusiastic about his constant companion throughout the night and seemed more than willing to continue their makeout sessions for as long as possible.

 

Phichit, as always, documented almost everything, but Yuuri is pretty sure the boy was so drunk the pictures didn’t turn out as perfect as he would have liked. Half of the time was spent taking pictures and the other half of the time was spent with Christophe. An unlikely friendship blossomed through the night and Yuuri was pretty sure Phichit gave Chris a kiss on the cheek as a goodbye. Phichit was so ridiculously drunk, he erupted in a fit of giggles and murmured something in Chris’s ear that turned the Swiss man beet red. What could he have possibly said that turned Chris so red? Yuuri doesn’t know. But it must have been very interesting.

 

The bachelor party boys all climbed into the limousine, drunkenly singing their hearts out so loud that all of Melrose Avenue could have heard them. Phichit accidentally falls back into Yuuri’s arms, hiccuping, giggling, and mumbling something about green eyes. Yuuri looked at his friend and used the back of his hand to feel Phichit’s forehead. Burning hot, he decides that a limousine full of equally drunk men probably isn’t the best choice for his best friend to nearly pass out on. Yuuri quickly looks at Viktor, who stares back at him with heated intensity, like he’s planning on kissing Yuuri senseless the whole ride back to Yutopia. Not that Yuuri doesn’t want that as well, but his friend needs him. He decides to bring Phichit home in a separate taxi, knowing full well that it will give him a small amount of time to recharge and freshen up a bit more.

 

Viktor nods in understanding, the smallest ounce of disappointment flickering in his eyes but it fades just as quickly as it came. He crosses over to Yuuri, pulling him in for another heated kiss. His hand gives a gentle caress on Yuuri’s face and Yuuri is just about ready to drop Phichit and leave with Viktor.

 

Viktor opens his mouth to speak, his voice full of the smooth, luscious velvet that makes Yuuri shiver. “When you come home,” his lips brush Yuuri’s ear, his voice dropping an octave. “I’ll be waiting for you.” He sighs a smeet breath across Yuuri’s face.

 

“Is that an invitation?” Yuuri asks with just as much lust in his voice, shuddering at his own confidence.

 

To this, Viktor smirks into Yuuri’s cheek but says nothing. He then takes a step back, grabs his hand, places a small skin tingling kiss against the knuckles, and leaves without another word, leaving Yuuri behind to drown in his imagination _. This man is going to be the death of me_ , Yuuri thinks. He looks at Phichit who’s smiling like he received the best gift on Christmas.

 

“What?” Yuuri asks his drunk friend.

 

“You loooooove him don’t you?” his words are slurred and difficult to understand. Yuuri craned his neck a little closer to Phichit so his friend can clearly hear him.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“You love him soooooo muuuch!” Phichit cheers throwing his right arm up in the air and falls into Yuuri’s strong arm again. “Hey hey hey.” He says a little too loudly. “Wanna know a secret?”

 

“Sure. Tell me.”

 

He pulls himself closer to Yuuri’s ear as if this is a very important secret that only he has to know. “Chris is an escort too.”

 

“I know Phich.”

 

“What?” Phichit said, looking genuinely confused. “I really really _really_ should have gotten my own escort. He’s so hot.”

 

“Alright, get in the car,” Yuuri tells him once a cab arrived. He watches as the limo carrying the rest of the boys rolls off into the night. Yuuri stops to think about Viktor and his muddled mind makes it difficult to focus. But he does know that a little time away from him would make it easier for Yuuri to build up his impressive stamina. Because who knows what they could possibly get up to at home...

 

Yuuri hopes that it's definitely worth the wait when he steps inside the cab after his friend and asks the driver to send them to Phichit's hotel.

 

 

* * *

 

 

In hindsight, it probably would have been a lot easier for Phichit to stay at the Hot Springs, and a lot cheaper too. That way, Yuuri wouldn’t have to waste so much time to drop off Phichit and stress about what’s going to happen when he gets home. Phichit is heavily leaning on Yuuri’s side as they get into the elevator that leads to his floor. Once inside the hotel room, he places Phichit on the freshly made bed, covers him up with the heavy comforter, and locks the door when he leaves.

 

Yuuri is surprised that he made his way out of the hotel and back into the cab without getting lost along the way. His mind is completely blank as he asks the driver to head straight home. On the way there, he stares out the window feeling his eagerness, fear, and impatience cloud his judgement as the night lights bounce around in his vision.

 

They come across a brightly light up bank with an ATM outside. The minute he sees it, Yuuri makes a decision. He knows it’s probably not a good idea, especially since he can’t even think straight. But he wants to be able to do something he so desperately needs, without thinking about the consequences he’s going to suffer in the future.

 

“Can you pull over for a second?” Yuuri asks the driver who gives him a confused look.

 

Thankfully the driver pulls over and Yuuri clambers out of the car with his wallet in his hand. He pulls out one credit card after another, withdrawing large amounts of money. So large that he’s nervous flashing lights would go off over his head, alerting everyone of his intentions.

 

He fills his wallet, his pockets, anywhere the bills can fit, hoping that the amount he withdrew would be enough to suffice.

 

Yuuri then quickly shuffles over to the taxi cab and slides inside, incredibly grateful that the driver doesn't mention what just happened. They head home, his racing heart loud enough to break the silence of their ride back.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come say hi!
> 
>  
> 
> [Tumblr](http://infinite-wonders.tumblr.com/)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I highly recommend listening to [Secret by Maroon 5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEw1QqxNWAU) sometime during this chapter, because not only is this song in the movie, it's also one of the songs on my playlist that I listened to on repeat while writing this. I also listened to [Redbone by Childish Gambino](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp7eSUU9oy8), [The Night Me and Your Mama Met by Childish Gambino](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT4MgAtBbJA), and [Earned It by The Weeknd](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe_iCkFsQKE).
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has read, liked, and commented on this fic! Your love means a lot to me and makes me so happy! 
> 
> And now, without further ado, the chapter we have all been waiting for. Enjoy!

 

 

 

The moonlight trickles into the silent house as Yuuri opens and closes the door behind him, trying to make his entrance as quiet as possible. He takes a deep breath and slowly exhales in attempt to calm his frantic nerves. Yuuri wasn’t sure what he was waiting for. If he were more confident in his abilities he would have pounded up the stairs immediately. But it’s almost as if something’s holding him back, it’s almost as if there’s a voice in his head that tells him to delay this as much as possible.  _ No, _ he thinks. He shouldn’t delay a moment that he’s been waiting for so long. Viktor told him earlier, he said something about tonight being  _ his _ night. It’s clear to him that the entire house is holding its breath, patiently waiting and completely silent, almost as if it knows that tonight is going to be very special to him. 

 

His legs seem to have a mind of their own, taking one step after another, pushing himself forward into the darkness. Every single one of his footsteps seem to echo throughout the room creating a cacophony that threatens to be heard. Yuuri can barely breathe, he’s completely terrified. Why does he feel a mixture of so many emotions? Why does he feel so nervous for something that’s so simple? Except the thing is, it’s not simple. It’s not simple at all. He’s willing to put his whole relationship with Viktor on the line because of this.

 

Would things be different after tonight? Would he still feel the way he does if they do this? Does he deserve someone as perfect as Viktor? A ticking of a nearby clock reminds him that there’s not enough time. If he doesn’t get over his fears now, morning will come, tearing away this perfect and rare opportunity from Yuuri’s grasp forever. He forces himself to take steady breaths and reminds himself of the confidence he felt when he pole danced or the passion he felt when Viktor kissed him. He uses that memory as a boost.  _ I can do this. I can do this. _ There’s heat pooling in his belly, almost as if he can already taste what’s about to happen, what he’s about to do. He shudders and makes his way to his room, finally facing a closed door with a small flash of light breaking from underneath the crack of the door.

 

Yuuri puts an ear to the door to listen for any movement on the other side. Hearing nothing, he places his fingers on the door handle and slides it open, bracing himself for what could be inside.

 

He finds Viktor on the bed with Makkachin curled up next to him. Viktor is awake, just like he promised. He’s lying on his side, his fingers grazing the soft fluff of Makka’s head, back and forth. It’s a beautiful picture really, definitely worth coming home to. At the sight of Yuuri, Makkachin immediately comes over, rubbing his body against Yuuri’s legs, as if it was his doggy way of saying hello. Yuuri smiles down at the dog and pats him once on the head. Makkachin pants happily because he got what he wanted. But now it’s time for Yuuri to get what he wants.

 

Viktor looks at him, his blue eyes burning with desire similar to what Yuuri felt being in Viktor’s arms earlier. He feels passion, like the passion he felt drinking up Viktor’s moans when they kissed and yearning, like the yearning that shows in his face whenever they made eye contact. He hopes that Viktor wants this just as bad as he does, and he forces himself to believe it, even if it turns out that that might not be the case.

 

Almost as if Makkachin senses a change in emotions, he trots out of the room and heads somewhere down the hall. Yuuri feels a bit guilty for kicking out Makkachin but it was his choice to leave. He slides the door behind him, grateful for the privacy that they were given.

 

Viktor says nothing, he just watches Yuuri from a distance, locking eyes with him as the moonlight illuminates his face. There’s a heavy tension in the air and Yuuri is absolutely positive that Viktor can hear his pounding heart, but it thankfully doesn’t break the silence that Yuuri is desperately trying to hold on to. He takes a step forward, noticing the slight movement of Viktor's chest and his wide open eyes, capturing every movement like he's storing it in his memory. 

 

He moves closer to the bed, never breaking their gaze. Yuuri undoes the tie the Viktor gave him, holds it parallel to the ground and drops it. Viktor swallows, instantly betraying himself with the slight bounce of his Adam's apple. Yuuri trembles slightly as he undoes the buttons of his shirt. Why is he shaking? His shirt disappeared nearly twice today, why can’t he just take it off with ease like he did before? Yuuri blushes under the strong gaze of Viktor’s eyes trailing down his body. He finally takes off his shirt, letting it fall to the ground along with the tie.

 

Yuuri smooths a hand down his own body, reaching for the zipper of his pants, and watches Viktor as he licks his lips. His chest moves up and down, quickening in tempo when Yuuri slowly lowers his pants. Viktor doesn’t move though, he’s curiously watching what’s about to happen next with lust in his eyes.

 

Millions of sensations run through Yuuri. Small beads of sweat trickle down his forehead and his fingertips tingle with the anticipation of wanting nothing more than to reach over to touch the man in front of him. He can’t believe that they haven’t even  _ touched _ each other yet and he’s already going crazy. Yuuri gives Viktor a sheepish smile and closes his eyes to focus on Viktor’s sharp breaths as he fumbles with pushing down the fabric. He hooks his thumbs through the waistband and pushes them past his legs, finally stepping out of them.

 

His thighs are exposed once again and he hears Viktor suck in a breath. His eyes flutter open and he parts his mouth before meeting Viktor’s eyes again. He needs to be closer to him. He  _ needs _ to feel Viktor’s touch. Yuuri has had enough of this strip tease. He reaches over to gently pull Viktor’s arm, wordlessly asking him to stand up in front of him. Viktor didn’t need to be told twice. He stands in front of Yuuri, clearly aroused from the strip tease and patiently waits to see what Yuuri will do next. 

 

Yuuri places his hands on Viktor’s clothed chest. He takes a deep breath in and Viktor copies, his hands move up and down with Viktor’s chest. Yuuri drags his hands down to his strong abs and Viktor gives him a little smile. He unbuttons Viktor’s shirt with a desire to touch the ivory skin that waits underneath. His fingers threaded through the unbuttoned shirt and he slowly pushes it past his shoulders using the palms of his hands to feel Viktor’s skin. The shirt comes off completely and Viktor shivers under the touch, watching Yuuri with heavy lidded eyes, his hands resting at Yuuri’s sides as Yuuri lightly traces the lines of his upper body.

 

Yuuri becomes a trembling wreck suddenly being able to see Viktor react to his touch this way. His body starts to lose focus as his fingers absentmindedly trace a line down Viktor’s chest, from his throat to his belly button. Yuuri stops above Viktor’s pants and he lifts his eyes up to meet Viktor as if he’s silently asking for permission. Viktor nods and Yuuri grabs hold of the button and undoes the zipper.

 

It’s so obvious that they’re meant to do this. When Viktor said tonight was Yuuri’s night, he neglected to mention that it was  _ their _ night, not just Yuuri’s. And because it’s their night, it feels as if they have all the time in the world.  _ There’s no going back after this, _ Yuuri thinks and swallows. The look Viktor gives him, it’s so full of need and want and  _ love _ that Yuuri thinks he might faint if he keeps looking in Viktor’s mesmerizing eyes. Viktor’s pants fall to the ground joining Yuuri’s, and Viktor takes this as an opportunity to pull them closer together. They’re chest to chest and Viktor’s arms are wrapped around Yuuri’s back, his fingers gently grazing the length of Yuuri’s spine. 

 

Not only does Yuuri’s heart rate spike at their entanglement, he also feels Viktor’s frantic heart against his chest as well. Their bodies against each other, Yuuri’s face buried where Viktor’s neck connects with his shoulder and Viktor places his cheek in Yuuri’s soft hair in return. It’s slow, it’s a bit torturous, but it’s so fucking romantic that Yuuri doesn’t even care that they’re not doing anything right now. What matters is that they’re half naked and safe in each other’s arms. They explore each other’s skin with just their fingertips and Yuuri has never felt more at ease in his life. His only thoughts consist of:  _ why haven’t we been doing this sooner? _

 

Yuuri plants a kiss in the curve of Viktor’s collarbone and he feels Viktor freeze. He brings his head back for a second, just to see Viktor’s reaction. His eyes are closed and there’s a silent plea to keep going. So, he plants kisses all along Viktor’s collarbone, leaving a couple of marks as he goes, all along Viktor’s throat, his chest, and goes especially sensitive around the nipples. Viktor’s whole body shudders at the swirl of Yuuri’s tongue against the sensitive skin. Yuuri moves to the other and feels Viktor pull him towards his body. A silent invite to move this over to the bed. Yuuri happily obliges, pushing Viktor’s back to lie against the mattress, not once breaking their embrace.

 

He continues kissing his body, this time focusing more on his neck. The marks that he made from earlier is still there, but seeing how it make Viktor squirm underneath him made Yuuri smile and suck the mark harder, feeling the pulse underneath his lips quicken in pace. Viktor gasps and immediately threads his fingers through Yuuri’s hair, pulling him hard enough for Yuuri to stop and admire his creation. He licks the mark he left and moves on to another part of Viktor’s neck, absolutely loving the noises he makes. If he would have known that Viktor loves neck kissing, he would have done that a long time ago. 

 

Viktor’s hands are everywhere at once, instantly responding to the small kisses across his upper body, making it very evident that he was restraining himself the entire time. He gently pulls Yuuri’s face to his, finally,  _ finally _ ,  bringing their lips together after having been separated for so long. His tongue meets Yuuri’s and curls into it, wrapping his arms tightly around the man above him. His arms then trail down Yuuri’s bare back, tracing the slope of his spine and dipping lower and lower. Low enough that his hands slip underneath Yuuri’s underwear and he firmly squeezes Yuuri’s thick ass, making the man above him gasp out loud.  

 

He wriggles under Viktor’s grasp, temporarily separating their kiss, and notices the shiny lips he left behind. It takes everything in his power to not go back to those lips. Instead, he crawls down to Viktor’s lower body peppering kisses across the lower abdomen. Viktor gives a huff of laughter at every kiss and Yuuri is practically bouncing off the walls because this perfect man that’s squirming underneath him is ticklish. He tucks this useful piece of information in the back of his mind, promising himself that he would definitely use it in the future. He moves on, giving small kisses on Viktor’s body, moving himself lower and lower after every kiss. A body like his should be heavily worshiped and Yuuri intends to do just that. 

 

His kisses are planted everywhere and with every kiss, Viktor loses himself more and more. But it’s only until Yuuri reaches the impressive tent that is hidden underneath his underwear where Yuuri stops himself. He looks up at Viktor who looks back down at him with heated intensity. He gives Yuuri a smile and a small nod, granting Yuuri complete permission for what is about to happen next.

 

Yuuri surprises him to say the least. He places both hands on Viktor’s hips to steady himself and gently nips at the growing bulge in Viktor’s underwear. Viktor throws his head back into the pillow with a groan. It’s nearly too much for him to handle and he writhes under Yuuri’s grasp, encouraging him to keep going. But Yuuri moves around it, deciding to tease the area around the bulge rather than freeing it right away. His fingers dig into Viktor’s hips hard enough to leave bruises. Yuuri sucks multiple marks into Viktor’s inner thighs, emitting small noises of pleasure from Viktor, making Yuuri want to memorize all the locations that make Viktor moan the loudest and to stick to it. Yuuri licks over the purple marks that he has created and backs away, staring at the gorgeous figure in front of him and feeling a sense of pride and accomplishment.

 

“Yuuri,” Viktor’s voice is raspy and full of emotion. “Please.”

 

Yuuri’s fingers are cold as they brush the skin beneath him, nudging at the band of the underwear. Viktor answers with a small whimper, which under certain circumstances would be embarrassing, but Yuuri is just happy that he’s able to obtain these small, pleasurable noises from him. Yuuri tugs, pulling on the thin barrier that separates him from what he desires most, and pushes it down in one smooth motion. Viktor groans and bites his lip as the cold air reaches his swollen flesh. He shuts his eyes closed, his hands at his sides, balling the bedspread underneath him in his fists. 

 

“Yuuri,” another gasp comes out, making the man above him give a small chuckle.

 

“Viktor,” Yuuri sighs into his thigh in response. He plants a few more kisses all around his strong thighs. Viktor trembles and mutters something incoherent into the darkness. He’s fully exposed in front of Yuuri and there’s this feeling of appreciation and belonging. Yuuri thinks about how much they’ve both wanted this, how much Yuuri wants to claim Viktor and make him his. His skin feels hot and damp against his fingers and he wants nothing more than feel Viktor’s hardness against his own. But he is determined to make Viktor feel good, so he moves gentle fingers to stroke the length of Viktor’s cock, making him spasm at the touch.

 

He slowly licks a stripe against the underside of his shaft and Viktor gives another moan. So slowly that Viktor mumbled something about dying and hoping to be buried with pleasure layered upon pleasure. It’s not a bad way to go. 

 

Yuuri dips down and takes him in his mouth, savoring Viktor’s soft curse at the feeling. He swirls his tongue around the head experimentally, humming around the impressive girth.

 

“Y-Yuuri,” Viktor begs, his hands finding their way into Yuuri’s soft black hair. “Please. I  _ need _ you.” He slightly tugs on the strands as Yuuri bobs, sucking and licking contently while doing so. He pushes Viktor’s legs further apart causing Viktor to gasp out, needy and desperate for more. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long,” Viktor cuts off, giving another breathless moan. “Ever since I saw you for the first time.” 

 

Yuuri hums in agreement around Viktor, working him slowly, his tongue flicking across the head, back and forth until Viktor becomes a blubbering mess underneath him. It’s slow, it’s excruciatingly unbearable, but Yuuri knows what he’s doing. He knows exactly what he’s doing in order to reward Viktor. Waves of pleasure build up as Viktor groans and his knees buck up.

 

He feels so good, he’s just about ready to cry when the head hits the back of his throat. Yuuri moans around Viktor and presses the heel of his hand to his own erection. His groans sent vibrations through Viktor’s stomach, and Viktor’s hands reflexively tighten around Yuuri’s scalp.

 

He knew that Viktor was close, he felt him twitch in his mouth, ready to burst at any given moment. But he wanted them to come together, he wanted everything to be perfect, he wanted to feel Viktor’s hands all over him as they both reached the height of their emotions together. Yuuri leaves a string of saliva as he pulls away from Viktor’s cock with a pop of his lips. He crawls up the bed to a waiting Viktor who immediately chases Yuuri’s spit slicked lips with his own. Yuuri’s hips grind into Viktor’s, not caring about taking it slow anymore. His partner’s mouth moves desperately against his own, feeling Viktor’s hands reach down to grab Yuuri’s cock as well, wanting to give Yuuri the same amount of pleasure that he gave him.

 

But that’s when Viktor realized that Yuuri still had an offending piece of clothing that separates them from their desires. He wraps his arms around Yuuri’s back, flipping them over so that he can be above him. Viktor tugs on Yuuri’s underwear. “Off,” he commands and Yuuri laughs, lifting up his hips to make the removal easier and quicker. He then grabs Yuuri’s shoulders, pulling him towards him, so that they’re both sitting upright with Yuuri is in his lap. Their mouths remain connected as Viktor works his magic, grabbing hold of Yuuri’s cock and pumping it in smooth motions, making Yuuri moan into his mouth.

 

They’re so eager for each other's touch, it's almost difficult to imagine that they've only met a few days ago. Yuuri’s arms wrap around Viktor’s shoulders tightly, his nails digging into his strong back muscles as he grinds his hips into Viktor’s, their mouths never once breaking contact. It’s difficult to concentrate now that Viktor’s hand is on his cock, his thumb on the slit, as he pumps it up and down. Their kisses are open mouthed and dirty now because there’s no reason for something that feels so good to have any restraint. Viktor’s tongue rolls against Yuuri’s and Yuuri follows his lead, never once stopping his hips from rocking into the other man’s awaiting grasp. The only thing that Yuuri can think of is moving with Viktor, the pressure and friction as he thrusts into Viktor’s grasp, pressing kisses into his mouth with every action.

 

Yuuri makes an impatient noise against Viktor, who separates his lips from Yuuri’s and moves to kiss his neck, pulling Yuuri’s head backwards, making his throat more vulnerable and exposed. “Yuuri, you’re so beautiful.” Viktor presses kisses into Yuuri’s neck after every word. “You’re so beautiful. Amazing. Wonderful.” He makes his way along Yuuri’s jaw and says the last word softly in his ear. “ _ Perfect _ .” 

 

Yuuri feels Viktor’s shaft in the crease of his ass and that just makes him moan harder. He straddles Viktor’s hips and rocks into them again and again as best as he can with Viktor’s hand around his length and his other pulling his head back. Yuuri moves his hands from the back of Viktor’s shoulders into his hair, holding on for dear life, feeling Viktor suck marks into the pulse of his throat, just like he did to him earlier. It feels so good, better than he ever imagined, their naked bodies are close together, both moving as one.

 

He feels himself getting close and feels his partner getting close too. Viktor stops marking Yuuri’s neck and brings Yuuri’s lips to his, kissing him so desperately, like his life depended on it. They murmur praise into each other’s lips as Yuuri gives one last grind against Viktor’s lap. They’re both overcome with an infinite amount of sensations from being together that Yuuri sees stars when he comes. Viktor kisses him through it, coming immediately after him.

 

He reaches for Yuuri, his fingers touching the sides of his face gently and brings their foreheads together, breathing heavily. Yuuri takes a deep breath in and exhales with both hands resting on Viktor’s shoulders. Their eyes are closed and he concentrates on Viktor’s breaths, trying to match his so that they simultaneously breathe together.

 

As he sits naked in Viktor’s lap, he feels his heart start to sing. This is the moment that he had been waiting for ever since he met Viktor. This is the moment that he had been waiting for his whole life. He feels like a new person, like someone who is deserving of the perfect man in his arms. He smiles at the thought, content with what they’ve done and what they’ll probably do in the future. If it felt good for him, it probably felt good for Viktor too. He opens his eyes to find Viktor’s blue ones already looking at him. 

 

The silver haired man doesn’t say anything, he just brings Yuuri closer into another hug, sighing his partner’s name into his ear like a prayer. Yuuri’s heart flutters at Viktor’s sweet breath, placing gentle kisses into the man’s shoulder.

 

“You’re so beautiful, Yuuri,” he sighs into Yuuri’s shoulder. “So perfect.”

 

Yuuri eyes flutter open. He hesitantly bites his lip, not sure if they should keep going or not. “Viktor?” He asks.

 

“What is it, my  _ zolotse _ ? What you need? Tell me your deepest desire. Your darkest pleasure. Tell me what you want most, Yuuri Katsuki. And I will give it to you.”

 

He feels himself start to get hard again. “Will you-?”

 

“Yes?”

 

He takes a deep breath in and brings his head back to look Viktor in the eyes. He fiercely kisses him, not finishing his question until he's absolutely positive that Viktor won't say no. His hips grind into Viktor’s once again and feels the other man moan into his lips. Through the kiss, Viktor completely gives himself to Yuuri, his body, his mind, his soul. Everything. He belongs to Yuuri and he couldn't be happier. 

 

Gaining a little more confidence than before, he pulls his lips away, and makes sure Viktor pays attention to his next words. “I want to make love to you, Vitya.” He drags his index finger across Viktor's jaw. “I want to make love to you like no one has ever done before.”

 

Viktor gives him a mischievous smile. “Yes, please.”

 

“I want to be the only one who knows your love, Viktor,” Yuuri gently steps out of their embrace and places a hand on Viktor’s chest, pushing him back into the propped up pillows. “I want everyone to know that you're  _ mine _ .”

 

Hungry eyes watch him in the moonlight. Yuuri reaches over to his nightstand to pull out the essentials. The bottle and condoms remain untouched as Yuuri directs his attention to Viktor, who patiently awaits with his back against the pillows, closed eyes, and spread out legs. Yuuri kneels between his legs, gently pressing kisses against the soft skin. Starting at his thighs, moving down to his knees, he avoids the area that practically begs to be touched again, and moves up to Viktor's hip, absolutely loving the needy noises that Viktor makes.

 

“Yuuri,” Viktor warns with a strangled voice as Yuuri presses his lips to his lower belly. “Please. Right now,  _ I _ need you.”

 

Yuuri grabs the bottle of lube and pours it onto his fingers, listening to Viktor’s increased breathing. He moves up, closing the distance between their lips as he tries to calm himself down. He's about to have sex with Viktor Nikiforov. He's about to change his life forever. This entire experience makes him a bit nervous and a bit self conscious but it's nothing he should be worried about, right? Making love should be like second nature to him.

 

Viktor must sense hesitance from the man above him. He grabs Yuuri’s hand and guides him down to his entrance, silently assuring him that he's doing it correctly. He rubs it with a gentle finger and Viktor shudders at the touch, kissing him through it, his other hand a comforting weight on Yuuri's back.

 

“You're doing amazing Yuuri,” Viktor says against his lips. “Please keep going.”

 

Yuuri listens and slips his finger inside, gaining confidence with Viktor’s encouragement. He can't help himself. “Are you ok?” He asks, feeling a smile against his lips and a small nod from Viktor and Yuuri smiles back at him.

 

He pushes through, adding another finger, making sure to pay close attention to Viktor’s deep breaths, the flush growing on his cheeks, and the fluttering of his eyelashes. Viktor moves against him, telling him to keep going, adjusting his body for a better angle. 

 

When Yuuri's fingers reach that spot, Viktor's mouth forms a little 'o’ and he gasps out. Yuuri hits the spot again, his fingers brushing over his prostate and Viktor becomes a murmuring mess. “There Yuuri, keep going.” He slips in a third finger just to hear Viktor’s noises of pleasure.

 

Yuuri gives a nervous laugh, feeling certain that the man underneath him is properly stretched. He slips out his fingers, sees Viktor give a small chuckle back with his eyes closed, and his body ready. Yuuri feels himself start to shake again, his heart pounding against his chest, as he brings the condom package up to his mouth and rips it with his teeth. He rolls it onto himself then grabs the bottle of lube with trembling hands. He pours the lube into his palm and slathers it on himself, feeling a bit nervous because now they're too far gone and unable to turn back.

 

Once he feels as if they've both been prepped, Yuuri takes a deep breath and holds on to Viktor’s waist, lining them up, making sure everything is perfect. They lock eyes together in the moonlight and it's probably the hottest thing that Yuuri's ever seen. He wills himself to push forward, going slow into Viktor, watching his eyes flutter shut and he breathes a sigh of relief. He inches in, his nervousness still evident but not as much as he was before. Viktor kisses him, temporarily distracting him from just how beautiful he really looks in the moonlight.

 

Yuuri feels his body start to calm down, relaxing into Viktor’s arms. He focuses on Viktor’s warmth and love as he makes his way in.

 

“V-Viktor,” he lets out a moan, feeling beads of sweat roll down his back. 

 

“So good Yuuri,” Viktor kisses him again. His legs wrap around Yuuri's waist taking him in deeper. Moans erupt from Viktor’s mouth, loud enough for the whole house to hear.

 

Yuuri moves his hips back, grabbing hold of Viktor’s waist for balance as he slowly but carefully slides in and out, making sure to watch Viktor’s face for any discomfort. Viktor starts to move in time to Yuuri's thrusts, matching his rhythm and trying to make it as enjoyable for both of them. Yuuri lets out another moan, moving his hand to grab Viktor’s cock with his lubricated hand. He starts pumping Viktor as smoothly as he thrusts. 

 

Viktor’s head falls back into the pillow but his legs still remain wrapped around Yuuri’s waist, his fingertips digging into Yuuri’s shoulders. He suddenly cries out, letting his partner know that he found his prostate again. Yuuri continues to move, aiming for that spot, knowing that he doesn't have a lot of time left. He feels himself getting close and Viktor probably feels it too.

 

Yuuri feels the warmth pooling in his lower belly and he pumps Viktor a few more times before anything else happens. He brings their lips together once more, kissing Viktor through his orgasm, feeling the hot come against his hand and stomach. He snaps his hips into Viktor a couple more times and then he comes as well, leaning into Viktor’s shoulder with muffled cry. His body collapses on top of Viktor’s in the aftermath of their pleasure surge.

 

They lay together for a few moments, both breathing heavily. Yuuri takes every ounce of strength he has left to roll off of Viktor and lay down next to him, unable to move his limbs for a couple minutes. 

 

He looks at Viktor who looks back at him in return. They smile at each other, obviously very happy at the outcome of the night. 

 

Yuuri peels off the condom, tying it up before he throws it in the wastepaper basket under his desk. He lifts his leg up over Viktor's body, stepping out of bed, expertly maneuvering his way around his room in the dark. He finds a container of wet wipes in his suitcase and brings them back to the bed. Pulling a wipe out of the container, he threads it through his sticky fingers and wipes at his stomach. He instantly takes another wipe and gingerly cleans Viktor’s come covered stomach, taking his time with tracing the lines of his body just like he did earlier.

 

Viktor watches Yuuri wipe him down with heavy lidded eyes. Once Viktor is cleaned, he throws away the wipes in the wastepaper basket and takes his original spot on the bed, lying down next to Viktor. He noticed how Viktor's eyes were on him the whole time he was cleaning him. A small blush of pink covered Viktor’s cheeks as Yuuri curled up next to him, a small smile on his face and body completely relaxed. 

 

Viktor then moves to drape his arm over Yuuri's body, bringing him closer to his chest, and sighing happily into the touch. Yuuri thinks back to that profiling test before he met Viktor. The first word that was used to describe Viktor was affectionate. Now, after what could be considered the best night of his life, Yuuri realizes just what an affectionate person Viktor is. He huddles himself closer in Viktor’s arms and thinks about how lucky he is to spend this time with him. He smiles against Viktor’s chest, for this is his moment, in Viktor's arms, is his favorite moment of the night that was made just for them.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, Viktor wakes up attached to an equally naked Yuuri Katsuki. A sort of blissful euphoria erupts in Viktor’s heart as he stares at Yuuri’s peaceful sleeping form. He finds it so interesting that this perfect angel in his arms was capable doing so many things last night. He brings his chest closer to Yuuri’s back, cuddling up against him as much as he possibly can and closes his eyes in attempt to go back to sleep. But the only problem is, he can’t go back to sleep. There’s too many conflicting emotions that are going through his head. 

 

He slept with Yuuri. They slept together and that is definitely something they should not have done. There was no reason to be so intimate with him, especially after Yuuri said that he wasn’t comfortable paying for what they just did. But he can’t help but think about how this is what he’s wanted for the past two days, what he’s wanted his whole life. 

 

When he looks at Yuuri, he feels like he could explode from the amount of happiness he feels. Yuuri’s eyelids flicker back and forth with dreams, his mouth is curled in small sleepy smile, his body warm against Viktor's as he shifts a little in his sleep. It doesn’t matter that he could get fired over this. It doesn’t matter that his actions will have consequences when he goes back to Florida. The only thing that matters is that Yuuri is here, safe in Viktor’s arms, and they’re wrapped up so tightly against each other, almost as if they’re one person. 

 

After everything they’ve done together, after everything they’ve said, Viktor is amazed at how close he feels to Yuuri. Yuuri had touched him with so much love, had kissed him with so much passion, had held him in his arms and accepted him, and Viktor couldn’t be happier.

 

Yet, he still feels overwhelmed with his thoughts. His mind refuses to rest, refuses to stop and think about what’s actually best for him. And it doesn’t help that he’s got a pounding headache because of how much he drank last night. His stomach growls with agreement and he thinks it’s probably a good idea to go to the kitchen and grab something to eat. It’s best if he leaves now so that he can figure out his thoughts without any distractions. When Yuuri wakes up, they can decide what to do next together. Should he tell Yuuri to keep quiet about what happened? Should he just kiss him and tell him that he wishes to never part ways with him once the week is over? 

 

Hopefully they won’t have to worry about the aftermath of this dreaded job he’s been a part of for so many years. Hopefully everything will all work out in the end. Maybe someday in the future he’ll always end up seeing Yuuri’s face on the pillow next to his when they wake up in the morning.

 

The amount of emotions that Yuuri seemed to have pulled out of him in such a short amount of time still manages to surprise him. They were attracted to one another from the start and it makes sense that they would end up in each other’s arms this way, right?

 

Viktor slowly slips his arms away from Yuuri’s body. He leans forward and presses a small kiss to Yuuri’s lips, practically recreating the sleeping beauty scene with a real life sleeping beauty. Thankfully, Yuuri doesn’t wake up from the soft touch. Viktor sighs, carefully watching over him as he expertly moves out of the way. Once he's standing, he throws on the first shirt and sweatpants he finds, and walks towards the door. Taking one last look at Yuuri’s calm sleeping form, he quietly slides the door closed and smiles at the memory of the way their naked bodies moved closely together the night before.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Waking up completely naked in an empty bed was not what Yuuri was expecting. In fact, Yuuri wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting at all really. The previous night was all a blur to him. The only thing he remembers are a blurry pair of hands and a blurry body in front of him. If he tries to think too hard, his incessant headache will continue to pound loudly in his ears. It’s probably for the best if he doesn’t think too much about what happened.

 

Not only is his headache stronger than anything he’s ever felt before, his eyes refuse to open for even a fraction of a millimeter, a burning sensation arises behind his eyelids. But who or what is the culprit for his pain? The contact lenses that he forgot to take out before falling asleep yesterday.

 

“Shit,” Yuuri muttered, finally prying his eyes open and his legs spring out from his position on the bed. His feet land flat on the floor as he stands with both hands clutching either side of his head, feeling a gust of air hit his naked body. “Oh right,” Yuuri remembers looking down at himself and shivers. Clothes. He needs clothes. Clothes are essential. Ignoring the constant burning of his eyeballs, he throws on a pair of black sweatpants that he doesn’t remember owning and a plain grey t-shirt, and heads to the bathroom so he can fix his eye problem.

 

It turns out, pulling out a piece of plastic that’s tightly hugging his eye isn’t exactly the perfect start to a new morning. Yuuri is just glad that nothing worse happened, like that one time where he fell asleep with his contacts in and they somehow managed to bury themselves in the top part of his eye socket. He had to ask Phichit to help him out and try not to freak out with overwhelming thoughts of never being able to see again. After that incident, he has been tempted to never wear contacts again and just get laser surgery (maybe sometime in the future). He often tricks himself into believing that the next time will be temporary and he’ll take them out the second he gets home.

 

Something must have happened last night. Something that Yuuri desperately wishes he remembers. He throws his head back and allows a few droplets of his solution to settle in his dry eyes and blinks several times. Switching to his glasses, he stares at himself in the bathroom mirror, his face clearly comes into vision before him. He finds a conflicted Yuuri staring back at him. Why is this Yuuri so conflicted? He doesn’t quite feel like his old self. There’s something… different.

 

Yuuri squints at his reflection once more. His hair looks a bit tousled, like he spent the whole night running his fingers through it. His eyes look tired but happy, almost as if he didn’t get an ounce of sleep and there were no regrets about it. As Yuuri observes himself, he notices a flicker of dark color in his reflection. Small purple bruises pattern his lower neck. His finger hooks onto his shirt collar and he pulls down slightly, just to see how far the marks go. There’s only a couple of them, some scattered above his collarbone, others on his chest. His eyes widen in realization and he audibly gasps.

 

Now he _really_ wishes he could remember the exact details of what happened last night. But he has a theory. And it’s probably a very accurate one.

 

He heads back to his room to check for any more clues that can possibly trigger his memory. Clothes that were worn during the bachelor party had been stripped off and thrown hastily on the floor. The bed sheets were disarranged and completely out of order. There’s a couple of condom packages at the nightstand. Yuuri groaned. His first time with Viktor and the fates somehow managed to steal his memory of what was possibly the most perfect night ever. Gone. Unable to be recovered. But he doesn’t blame the fates, he blames himself for being stupid enough to drink excessively to the point of not being able to remember a thing and he mentally kicks himself.

 

When he notices the overflowing wallet in the pocket of his pants, the guilt of what he’s done comes crashing down on him. _Oh god, what would Viktor think if he saw this?_ _There’s no sign of Viktor anywhere. Maybe that’s why he’s not here anymore. He’s not here because I messed up. I messed up my relationship with the most wonderful person in the world. Just because I was drunk and high on emotions. Oh man, he probably hates me for thinking that I would do something like this. He hates me so much. He never wants to see me again. What am I gonna tell my family? They can’t know that this relationship was staged. They can’t know the truth about what an awful, terrible person I am. They can’t. I’m so sorry that I did this to you Viktor. I’m so sor-_

 

There’s a small knock on the door behind him, bringing him out of his self deprecating thoughts. Yuuri turns around and has never simultaneously felt so in love and so heartbroken at the the sight of someone before. A soft Viktor appears, holding a tray that’s complete with a plate full of strawberry pancakes, a steaming hot coffee mug, a tall glass of bloody mary, and a bottle of aspirin.

 

“Good morning,  _ solnyshko _ ,” Viktor smiles warmly at him, motioning the tray with his eyes and a proud look on his face. “I thought you might want breakfast… and a few other things that could help you.”

 

There’s this swelling amount of heat growing in his chest that quickly replaces the guilt he felt earlier. “Thank you Viktor.” Yuuri smiles back at him. “I’m amazed at how you think for me.”

 

Viktor chuckles. “What can I say? I’m a gentleman.” He goes over to place the tray on Yuuri’s desk, his back turned towards him. Yuuri takes this as an opportunity to take his pants and throw them underneath the bed, out of reach, out of sight, and hopefully, out of mind. “I don’t know how you like your coffee, so I just brought it black. I hope you don’t mind.” Viktor hands the mug over to Yuuri, who gratefully accepts it. Their fingers tingle as they graze over the mug. At the touch, a small blush of pink forms on Viktor’s cheeks, making Yuuri swear to himself that he would do anything for this man if it meant that he would get to see him blush like that for the rest of his life.

 

Viktor leans in for a kiss and Yuuri can't help but return the favor, never being able to resist this drug in front of him. When their lips brushed together it's almost as if time itself stopped, just for them to have a moment like this. Time was being generous. But not generous enough. 

 

They break away for a second. Viktor’s forehead rests on Yuuri's as he takes a deep breath in, eyes closed, his body pressed up against Yuuri on an angle so that way he won’t interfere with the coffee cup in Yuuri’s hand. It's also then Yuuri notices that the shirt Viktor is wearing looks familiar. Almost too familiar.

 

“Are you… wearing my shirt?” Yuuri questions. 

 

Viktor’s eyes snap open and he immediately blushes like a schoolboy, ducking his head and looking down at himself. “I.. uh - yes? I couldn't find mine and it was the only shirt around. After… well…”

 

“I-It’s okay,” Yuuri assures him. “You look good in it.” He pauses to bite his lips. “So good in fact,” he brings his eyes up to meet Viktor’s blue ones. “That it would look even better on my floor.”

 

“I can believe that your cheesy line worked on me.” Viktor tugs on the bottom of the black band tee and pulls it over his body, revealing a chest and neck that is marked just as much as Yuuri's. Viktor throws the shirt on the floor dramatically and wiggles his eyebrows playfully. “Does this look good enough for you?”

 

“You know it, baby.” Yuuri is a bit surprised at his sudden flirtatiousness but absolutely loves the look in Viktor’s eyes after he says it.

 

“Do you know what would look even better?” Viktor steps a bit closer. “Your hot body against mine.”

 

“Your seduction levels are off the charts Vitya. What else have got?”

 

“Hm,” Viktor thoughtfully looks of into the distance with his finger tapping his chin. “I got one. Are you from Russia? ‘Cause you’re Russian my heart rate.”

 

“Cute. But I should be the one to use that on you!”

 

“I got another one. Your lips look so lonely.... Would they like to meet mine?”

 

Yuuri pecks him on the lips once for good measure. “What else?”

 

Viktor paused for a second, looking off into the distance, completely deep in thought. He gives a noise of approval and says, “you're so beautiful that you made me forget my pickup line?”

 

Yuuri laughs at that. “How come you manage to make even the most cheesiest lines romantic?”

 

“It takes practice my dear Yuuri,” His eyes sparkle at the man in front of him. A lazy smile remains on his perfectly kissable lips. “Practice and a willing partner.”

 

“Alright you dork,” Yuuri lightly pushes him. “I really want to take a quick shower, is that ok?”

 

“Yeah that’s fine,” he agrees, moving out of the way. Yuuri turns to head out but is stopped by a hand. “I just have one question to ask you Yuuri.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“May I join you?” Viktor asks wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

 

Yuuri gives a small laugh. “Sure, if you want.” He just can’t say no to that adorable face. 

 

Viktor gives him one of his famous heart shaped smiles and runs next to Yuuri, grabbing his hand and leading him out the room. They smile at each other as Viktor practically bounces on the balls of his feet, eager to make it to the bathroom. Yuuri laughs at him again, happy to see Viktor want to spend even more time with him then necessary. He knows that once Viktor sets his mind to something, he’s incredibly stubborn and hell bent on getting what he wants. Yuuri supposes that a quick shower with his escort wouldn’t be so bad.

  
  


* * *

 

 

 

A quick shower that was only supposed to last a few minutes turned into almost an hour of soft touches and warm kisses. At that moment, it's almost as if nothing else existed, as if they're the only two people in the entire world.

 

Yuuri closes his eyes under the hot water pounding against his chest. He rolls his shoulders and tilt his head back, stretching his neck and his aching muscles. Behind him, Viktor places his hands on Yuuri’s shoulders, rubbing out the knots as Yuuri leans back into Viktor’s soft hands, silently inviting him for more. Happy to oblige, Viktor continues to massage the large muscles in his back, rub out the kinks in his neck, ease his tense shoulders until Yuuri is completely relaxed.

 

Yuuri feels himself unwind into the touch, giving his complete and total trust to Viktor who works his way to Yuuri’s arms, pressing kisses to every inch of his body once he finishes. The massage instantly turns into Viktor tracing the lines of Yuuri’s body with his fingertips. He opens a bottle of body wash and squeezes the soap into his hands, washing Yuuri’s back, his chest, his waist, his stomach. Yuuri feels warmth blossoming underneath his skin everywhere Viktor’s fingers touched. For the first time in forever, he closes his eyes and feels complete bliss.

 

The way Viktor touches him, it's like he's touching a priceless artifact, a long lost treasure that yearns to be found. Yuuri returns the favor, rubbing his soap filled hands smoothly all over Viktor’s body.

 

They stay under the water, basking in the safety and warmth of each other's arms for longer than necessary. When Yuuri turns down the shower head, Viktor watches him with heavy lidded eyes and a loving look on his face. He reaches up to push Yuuri's bangs away from his forehead, moving his hand down to Yuuri's cheek, pulling him in for a soft kiss.

 

At this rate, Yuuri is positive that they would never make it past the door. This feeling that arises, it's nearly too much for his heart to bear. His cheeks hurt from smiling too much, his fingers long to touch the man in front of him, his body aches for him. 

 

It's then, with Viktor kissing his body practically worshiping every inch of skin, when he realizes a very vital piece of information. He's in love with his escort. He's in love with his escort and there's nothing he can do to stop it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“What are you looking at Yuuri?” Viktor asks as he buttons up his white dress shirt over his underwear. Yuuri mentioned something about going to a dance rehearsal so he figured that he should at least wear something nice. He sees Yuuri shuffle his shoulders out of the corner of his eye. Yuuri sits patiently on the edge bed, his legs swinging, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses. Viktor sighs. Yuuri really is adorable, and he loves spending time staring at him, memorizing even the smallest of Yuuri’s actions.

 

“You,” the man on the bed blushes, obviously surprised with his own confidence.

 

“Me?” Viktor asks, smoothing his fingers through gel slicked hair.  He turns to look at Yuuri, who gives a small nod, and eyes flicking away from his gaze. “Now, why would you want to do that?” He takes a step closer to him, eager to see his reaction. 

 

“I-I um,” Yuuri starts, he scrunches his eyes closed at the proximity.

 

“What is it _ , Yuuri _ ?” Viktor makes sure to accentuate the u in his name.

 

The man on the bed says nothing and bites his lip. Suddenly, Viktor feels arms wrapped around his waist and feels Yuuri pull him towards the bed. Viktor yelps at the sudden movement then starts laughing at the noise he made. But then his laughing continues as Yuuri’s fingers dig into a spot on his tummy. A spot that immediately caused him to erupt into a fit of giggles.

 

He puts his hands up in surrender, but Yuuri won't take no for an answer. He continues tickling Viktor’s tummy, drinking up the man’s giggles. 

 

“You're so cute, Vitya, especially when you laugh like this,” Yuuri says in between laughs himself. “I want to make sure you know who’s the boss here.” He lifts up Viktor’s buttoned shirt and brings his mouth to Viktor’s lower belly, taking in a deep breath. He starts blowing raspberries into Viktor’s belly and Viktor laughs even harder, swatting Yuuri’s head with his hands and his body involuntarily curls up as a defense mechanism. 

 

“Stop it Yuuri! Stop it!” He says in between giggles.

 

“Are you sure you want to do that Vitya?” Yuuri lifts his head from Viktor’s belly, immediately stopping his raspberries but resumes his tickling. Viktor gulps a big breath of air. 

 

“Yes,” Viktor says in between breaths. He pulls Yuuri’s hands away, temporarily stopping his tickling. He shakes his head back and forth. “Look what you did to me, Yuuri. You took my breath away.”

 

“I feel accomplished. I had a tickle fight with Viktor Nikiforov. And I won.”

 

“You may have won this round,  _ kotyonok _ . But I'm warning you. You better watch your back,” he threatens with a smile on his face. He stands up, breathing heavily after the small tickle session, and looks on the ground for his misplaced pants.

 

“And why is that?” Yuuri questions.

 

“Because,” he picks up a pair of pants hidden underneath the bed. “This means war.” He smiles and stretches the pants preparing to put one leg in after another. Viktor frowns at the bulge from the pocket and feels the fabric around it. His fingers pull it open, curious to see what could possibly make the pocket so large.

 

He stops when he sees the familiar slips of green paper practically erupting from a wallet. His eyebrows knit in confusion. These don't belong to him. These look like they belong to someone else. And that someone is sitting on the bed, looking up at him with a relaxed smile on his face.  _ Could it be…? _

 

 

* * *

 

 

The body in front of him stiffens as he pulls out something from Yuuri’s pants. He feels the color drain from his face and he watches Viktor hold an overflowing wallet in the air. The temperature in the room dropped immediately when Viktor grabs the dollar bills, allowing them to slip through his fingers one after another. The realization hits Yuuri like a bus, suddenly aware of the green slips of paper that cascade down to the floor. 

 

Viktor grits his teeth, the happy look on his face is replaced with a mixture of pure agony and disappointment. “Yuuri? Is this for last night?”

 

It’s the first time they’ve ever mentioned what properly happened yesterday night, the first time that they’ve addressed the elephant in the room and Yuuri wishes he could take it all back. He wishes he could run away and build a time machine to go back to before Viktor found the money, when they were having such a good time laughing and tickling and kissing. Or better yet, go back in time and never go to that ATM. Or even better, go back in time and never drink as much as he did at the bachelor party. But as much as he wishes that he would use a time machine, that situation is highly unlikely. It wouldn’t help the fact that Viktor is standing in front of him demanding answers for what Yuuri had so foolishly had done.

 

He sits on the edge of the bed, eyes glued to the floor, feeling a bit like a child who broke a glass window and now has to suffer the consequences. “I… um. No? Maybe? I… just… I don’t know.” What exactly could he say to make this situation any better? He doesn’t even know what the hell is happening anymore, what was he  _ supposed _ to say? Yuuri buries his face in his hands with his elbows resting on his knees. 

 

A moment of heavy silence passes between them. He wants to say something, but nothing comes out. The silver tongue that he had temporarily obtained earlier has managed to disappear from his grasp yet again. Yuuri makes the mistake of looking up.

 

Viktor’s eyes are teary and his eyebrows are scrunched up in anger. He kneels in front of Yuuri who’s sitting speechless on the edge of the bed. The money is held tightly in his grasp and sharp sniffs fill the air from the man on his knees. His other hand grasps Yuuri’s thigh for support. Yuuri dares to fill the air with one word.

 

“Viktor?”

 

Viktor’s eyelids flutter closed, tears falling to the ground. “Damn. I didn’t expect Yuuri Katsuki to be such a selfish human being.” He ducks his head down causing his silver bangs to fall over his face.

 

“Viktor, I-” Yuuri hesitates. He’s never been good with words or dealing with people in general. But seeing Viktor so sad, it nearly breaks his heart. Yuuri doesn’t know what possessed him to do what he plans on doing next. He reaches out to Viktor, his fingers grazing the silver bangs and pushes them out of the way so Yuuri can see his whole face.

 

Viktor brings his head back slightly, his eyebrow arching in confusion. “What are you doing, Yuuri?”

 

“Oh, I’m just surprised to see you cry.”

 

“I’m mad okay? What  _ should _ I do?” Viktor hisses, his voice angry but eyes filled with hurt. He pushes Yuuri’s hand away with tears falling down his face. “If I was going to charge you, I would have told you ahead of time. I explained that to you, didn’t I?”

 

“I-I thought-” Yuuri started, his sentence remains unfinished, adding on to the heavy tension in the air.

 

“Do you think that I let all of my clients do what you did?” Viktor nearly yells, his tears forgotten. “Do you think that I would just start making out with them in the middle of a bachelor party and flirt with them the way I did with you? Do you think that I would let them give me a strip tease, start doing whatever they wanted to me, and let them make love to me without any knowledge of what we were going to do  _ beforehand _ ?”

 

Yuuri feels his mouth drop wide open. “I didn’t want you to think that I was expecting anything for free! Or that I was expecting anything… anything at all!” He shouts, desperate to get the truth out, desperate to make him understand, even if he can’t even understand himself. “I mean. I must have been expecting  _ something _ because I wouldn’t have stopped at that ATM on the way home. But-  _ I don’t know _ , Viktor. I just wanted to make sure. Just in case something happened.”

 

“And something  _ did _ happen Yuuri. But you decided to ignore everything I said to you. To ignore every moment we had this morning, last night or the night before that." Viktor shakes his head and looks at Yuuri in disbelief. "Did you think it was just an act? A way for me to make money off of you? You wanted to pay me just in case something happened and I didn’t feel the same way? Is that it?”

 

Yuuri didn’t answer for fear of making the situation even worse.

 

“By the way,” Viktor stands with his fingers clutching the dollar bills once before throwing them on the ground. “You’re three hundred short.”

 

“Viktor, Wait!” Yuuri pleads, reaching out to the other man who has already stormed out of the room without another word. “Viktor!”

 

Yuuri’s mind is now swirling with thoughts he hadn’t even bothered thinking about before.  _ Wait a second wait a second. _ He didn’t even need to go to that ATM? Viktor would have been happy with what they were doing without Yuuri having to pay a price? His unrequited crush on his perfect escort wasn't so unrequited after all?

 

_ I’m such an idiot _ , Yuuri thinks regrettably. He could have had a chance with Viktor. But then he just had to think stupid thoughts and do stupid things and ruin everything, just like he always does with everything else in his miserable life.

 

He mutters a few curses under his breath but it’s not like there will be anyone there to hear him. “Fuck,” Yuuri says out loud. It doesn’t make him feel better at all. 

 

The coffee Viktor gave him has gone cold. The pancakes that Viktor made for him now look as depressed as he feels. That cute moment that they just had disappeared as if it never happened. Yuuri sighs heavily and threads his fingers through his hair, tightly tugging on the strands. He bends over the bed, allowing himself to pick up the green pieces of paper that might have ruined his entire relationship with Viktor. He feels hot tears dripping down his face as he kneels on the ground, staring at his door as if it would magically fix his problems.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Viktor finds himself pacing in the hallway outside with Makkachin hot on his heels. The dog probably thinks that they’re playing a game with the amount of times Viktor has moved back and forth.  _ It’s not Yuuri’s fault. No. I shouldn’t be mad at him. He did the right thing. I would have done the same thing if I was him. But it’s my fault. It’s my fault entirely. I wasn’t able to control my emotions. I should have known what was going to happen. I’m such an idiot for not stopping this before it even began. _

 

He thought that they had gone to bed together with full knowledge of what they were going to do, with full knowledge that they were going to break the rules. Because what good where the rules when they had each other? He needed to feel  _ alive _ for the first time in forever and he thought that Yuuri had felt the same way. He didn’t care about the rules when he had the chance to feel the way he does whenever he’s with Yuuri. The rule book was burned, stomped on, and thrown out the window and Viktor watched as it crumpled to the ground.

 

Did Yuuri think that he was acting this the whole time? Playing his role as an escort?

 

Viktor folds his arms and huffs out a breath of air. How can someone as beautiful as Yuuri think so low of himself? How come Yuuri won’t allow himself to see just how perfect he really is? Why can’t he believe that Viktor wants him so badly, wants him for who he is and not just because he’s playing a role as an escort?

 

He should really go back into Yuuri’s room and talk to him. Yuuri looked really confused and heartbroken when he left so abruptly. If Yuuri’s family sees Viktor like this they’ll know that they’ve had an argument and that would look incredibly suspicious. It would jeopardize this image of the happy couple that they’ve both spent so long trying to build. He should try and calm down before he goes back into Yuuri’s room. He should try and talk to Yuuri so that way there won’t be any form of miscommunication in their relationship.

 

He thinks about whether or not he should have slept with Yuuri, whether he should have turned him down because they were both drunk and not thinking straight. Last night only complicated things. 

 

But then again, sleeping with Yuuri was one of the best decisions he’s ever made. The moments that they had this morning were some of the best moments in his life. And he would gladly do it again if Yuuri asked. Except this time he would make sure that money wouldn’t be a problem. 

 

There was a very strong overcoming emotion when they kissed earlier today, when he pressed his lips to Yuuri's skin, when he held their bodies close together, when they were laughing uncontrollably because of the tickle fight Yuuri started. Viktor isn’t quite sure what to call it, but he believes that it has something to do with love. 

 

He hopes that Yuuri felt it too.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Shows up 3 months late wearing cool sunglasses and holding Starbucks*
> 
> Hello everyone! I apologize for the surprise hiatus that I didn't even plan for. Writer's block got in the way. Life got in the way (and by life I mean I started my first year of college (and I thought I would finish writing this before I started - we all see how that turned out lol)). Before we get started with the chapter you have all been patiently waiting for, I would like to mention a couple of things.
> 
> I applaud all writers for doing what they do because writing is a lot harder than it looks and yet they still manage to create worlds for their audience to escape to and think about for months, years, or even a lifetime after the story is finished. I applaud all artists for creating such beautiful and quality pieces of art for their audience to enjoy and keep close to their hearts for the longest time. And most importantly, I applaud all audiences for your patience and your willingness to accept what the creators put out into the world. Without you, the fandom wouldn't exist.
> 
> Your happiness makes me happy, and I can't wait to share my creation with you. Thank you all so much for your love and support!!! It means the world to me!!
> 
> And now without further ado, the resolution!

 

 

By the time Yuuri made his way down to the lobby, he had thought of every possible thing he could say to his heartbroken escort. Multiple scenarios have been created with multiple types of apologies where the responses range from a slap to the face to Viktor never speaking to him again. Out of all the scenarios that Yuuri had created, not one of them deemed plausible, forcing Yuuri to deal with reality. He looks around the room a little, trying to act as calm and collected as possible in attempt to relax his unsettling nerves. It doesn’t seem to be working. In fact, it’s not working at all. Viktor is nowhere to be found and Yuuri doesn’t allow himself to feel relief of escape. Not even for a second.

 

How can he explain his exact thoughts in a moment where he didn’t even remember what was going through his head anyway? How can he explain his exact thoughts while _sober_ ? His mind is unfiltered, not even _he_ can figure out what he wants to say, much less explain it to the person who needs it most.

 

 _Nice going Yuuri,_ a clear thought bursts through. _You somehow manage to keep fucking things up and you can’t even find a way to apologize to the man._

 

What’s he going to say? _Hey Viktor. I’m sorry that you saw the money in my pocket. That wasn’t meant for you, I was going to use that money to buy… a wedding gift that I still haven’t gotten for the Nishigori’s?_ That sounds too pathetic.

 

 _Hey Viktor. I’m sorry for sleeping with you last night._ He stops himself before he can go any further. Yuuri knows that’s not true. He’s not sorry for what happened, he’s just angry at his actions before the actual event happened.

 

 _Viktor. I’m sorry for upsetting you. I didn’t mean for things to go as far as they did._ Better. But why does every apology he comes up with sound so miserable?

 

 _Maybe because you are miserable_ , a stray thought escapes once again.

 

_Shut up, Yuuri._

 

He comes downstairs and plasters a fake smile on his face the second he sees Phichit and Mari sitting across from each other in the lounge. The two friends talk quietly to one another. Mari clutches a mug close to her chest and occasionally closes her eyes as she listens to Phichit’s voice, a voice that is soft enough that Yuuri can’t decipher what he’s saying. He walks over to them anyway, hoping that his face doesn’t betray the fight that he had with Viktor earlier.

 

“Hey Mari,” Yuuri waves at his sister. He then directs his attention to his friend and pokes his shoulder in greeting. “Phichit, I didn’t expect to see you here.”

 

“Yeah, what can I say?” Phichit pokes him back in response and sits back with his arms folded in attempt to protect his stomach from any other surprise jabs. “I wanted to remind you about the dance rehearsal, like the good friend that I am.”

 

“I already knew about the dance rehearsal,” Yuuri responds, narrowing his eyes. “That’s not the reason that you’re here is it?”

 

“Of course it is, Yuuri. How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t need a particular reason to be around you all the time?”

 

Yuuri raised an eyebrow.

 

“What? I can’t come here to say that I’ve missed you?”

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

“Alright, alright. You got me,” Phichit throws his hands up in surrender. “I’m only here because I really wanted to catch up with your sister and have some quality home cooked meals from the amazing woman that is your mother. Is that too much to ask?”

 

“Mari,” Yuuri looks at his sister and points at the Thai boy. “Are you just going to let him use you like that?”

 

“Hey man,” Mari defended. “I have the biggest headache that I’ve ever had in my life and the fact that I didn’t get any sleep last night doesn’t make it any better.” She massages her forehead and sighs. “I swear I’m getting too old for this shit.”

 

“What shit?” Phichit asks.

 

“Bachelorette parties,” she says and brings the mug to her lips to sip the coffee inside.

 

“Oh,” Phichit breathes. “That shit.”

 

“Yeah, that shit. Drinking, dancing, loud music, and a couple of games too. It was the type of party Yuuri would have hated. Trust me.”

 

Phichit snorts. Yuuri glares at him. There's a small moment of silence as if Phichit is deeply thinking about something. He then hums loudly and pulls out his phone, eager to show them his idea.

 

“Hey Mari,” Phichit says tauntingly. “Wanna see something interesting?”

 

“What kind of interesting we talkin’ about here?”

 

“The kind of interesting that involves your brother.”

 

“Phichit!”

 

“Hell yeah,” Mari’s mouth curled into a menacing smile. “Show me, show me! I love having the ammo to tease him!”

 

“Phichit. Arthur. Chulanont. I swear to God, if you show her my pictures you’re a dead man.”

 

“That’s not even my middle name, you pompous.”

 

“Yeah it is. I sneaked a look at your birth certificate.”

 

“Yuuri! That is private property, how dare you take advantage of me this way! I should sue you for fraud!”

 

“You can’t sue me,” Yuuri smirks and folds his arms. “And that's not how fraud works!”

 

“Oh yes I can,” Phichit fires back. “You _do_ remember that my current boyfriend is a lawyer, right? Actually, you know what? I take that back. You probably don’t remember him because all you care about is whatever is going on in your life.”

 

“That’s not true!”

 

“Oh yeah? What’s his name?”

 

“What’s whose name?”

 

“My boyfriend’s name!”

 

“Chris?” Yuuri guesses incorrectly. He knows that’s not his boyfriend’s name but if Phichit is messing with him, why can’t he mess with Phichit? “I didn’t know Chris was a lawyer.”

 

“No, he’s not a lawyer. And, he’s not my boyfriend either, that was a one time thing. It’s probably never gonna happen again.”

 

“Really?” Mari asks. “Because I thought that you were just texting him a while ago?”

 

“I was. It’s actually how I was reminded of what happened last night. Speaking of which, don’t think that I forgot about those pictures, Yuuri.”

 

“You’re a dead man,” Yuuri threatened.

 

“Uh-huh,” Phichit said with his eyebrow raised. “Oh, and by the way. My boyfriend’s name is Seung-gil. Not that you would remember anyways.”

 

“Seung-gil! Now I remember his name!” Yuuri exclaimed.

 

Phichit narrowed his eyes at his friend and gave him a fake laugh. “You’re lucky I like you Katsuki. Otherwise, _you’d_ be the dead man.”

 

Mari chuckled and placed her mug on the countertop behind them. “As much as I love to see your friendly argument, I’ve got to go finish up my chores. If I don’t, Mom’s gonna freak out. And _you_ ,” she points at Phichit, “won’t get your pork cutlet bowl.”

 

“What? I want a pork cutlet bowl!” Yuuri demanded.

 

“You can get one if you ask nicely. But I’m talking about _him_. Mister Phichit Arthur Chulanont.”

 

“See what you did Yuuri?” Phichit pouts, making himself look defenseless. “Now she’s never going to leave me alone.”

 

Mari stands up and sets her mug on the countertop. “Anyway, before I leave, I just have to ask you one question Yuuri.”

 

“Okay, shoot,” he said, happily prying his eyes away from Phichit.

 

She asked her question without a split second hesitation and her voice dripping with amusement. “You got lucky last night, didn’t you?”

 

Yuuri felt his face start to heat up uncontrollably. Why? Why must his sister annoy him this way? Despite the fact that he’s in front of both his sister and his friend, he can’t help but smile at the memories that start to come back to him. A naked Viktor moving underneath him, moaning Yuuri’s name against his skin, kisses that were so passionate, so full of love, that Yuuri still feels tingles on his sensitive lips. If something happens after today, if Viktor won’t be able to forgive him, he’s glad to have a beautiful memory to hold on to.

 

“Oh my god Yuuri,” Mari laughs at him. “Look at your face.”

 

Yuuri rolls his eyes at her and lands on Phichit. He has a shit eating grin on his face and his eyebrows wiggle playfully. Yuuri groaned in irritation. Why do siblings and best friends always jump at any opportunity to embarrass you?

 

“You should know,” his sister continued. “Makkachin came into my room last night. He nudged the door open with his snout and trotted in as if he owned the place. He jumped on the bed and curled up at my feet and I was too drowsy to understand why _your_ dog came into _my_ room.” Her eyes widened slightly, “A couple seconds later, that’s when I realized what was going on. Something was definitely happening and Makkachin was smart enough to give you two some privacy!” She and Phichit burst out in laughter.

 

“Phichit, why are you laughing?”

 

“Because that sounds like something Makkachin would do!”

 

“Phich-”

 

“Jesus Yuuri,” Mari cut in before Yuuri could say anything else. She stops laughing for a moment and takes a deep breath. “I know you guys are in love and everything but at least have the decency to keep it down. Seriously, people - and by people I mean me - were trying to sleep!”

 

“What!?” Yuuri shrieked.

 

“And then you had to ruin poor Makkachin’s innocence! You monster!” Phichit exclaimed, obviously happy to tag along with Mari’s teasing game.

 

“What were you even _doing_ to him?” Mari asked, bewildered. “Did you forget that the walls are paper thin?”

 

“Hey, you guys should shut the-” Yuuri stops talking mid sentence and trembles slightly when he feels a hand rest on his shoulder and a smooth pair of lips brush against the quickening pulse of his neck. There’s only one person in the world who would make his whole body shiver with anticipation, who makes his hair stand on end, who makes every nerve beneath his skin tingle with pleasure. The only person who is capable of making Yuuri feel such things is Viktor.

 

And when Yuuri looks up at his fake boyfriend, who looks absolutely fucking gorgeous in his white button down shirt, he almost forgot about what happened earlier this morning. He almost forgot that they’re supposed to be in a fight right now.

 

“There you are Yuuri,” his voice as smooth and as eloquent as ever. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

 

Phichit stands up, brushes his hands against his pants, and goes over to shake Viktor’s hand. “Viktor! My man! Well, you’re not my man, you’re my friend’s man, but you get what I mean. We already established who my man actually is a couple of minutes ago.”

 

“Who? Chris?” Viktor asks. In this moment, Yuuri could have sworn that Viktor was definitely listening to the group’s conversation without actually joining in. But Viktor’s genuine expression seems as if the man was only giving his honest opinion.

 

“No! Doesn’t anyone remember that I brought my boyfriend, Seung-gil, as a plus one to the wedding?”

 

“Your boyfriend who?” Viktor continued, obviously trying to hold back his laughter.

 

“Very funny, Viktor. Wow, you guys are so similar, huh? It’s like you were M-F-E-O.” Phichit points at both of them.

 

“M-F-E-O?” Yuuri asks.

 

“Made for each other,” Mari answers for Phichit.

 

Viktor chuckles at Yuuri’s pink tinged cheeks. _Made for each other?_ This sounds incredibly similar to when Yuuri was filling out the questionnaire on the escort website, where the word ‘soulmate’ jumped out at him as opposed to any other question on the website. When Viktor was magically selected as his “soulmate”, at the time, all Yuuri could do was imagine the kind of person that would fulfill his role as a soulmate only for a few days.

 

Looking at Viktor now, with his heart clenching in both fear and happiness, he realizes the truth behind that simple phrase. He can’t imagine his life without Viktor in it. After only spending a few days with him, those days felt like more than just days an escort and a client spent together. Those days were spent with his best friend, the love of his life, his soulmate. Yuuri reaches over and grabs Viktor’s hand, placing a kiss on the man’s knuckles and ignores the looks his sister and his friend give him.

 

This time, Viktor was the one who turned pink as he watches Yuuri smile against his knuckles. Despite the fact that they’re supposed to be in a fight right now, Yuuri had never loved anyone more in his life than he loves Viktor.

 

He just hopes that Viktor will be able to forgive him after what he had done.

 

“Anyways. After you lovebirds so adorably interrupted me,” Phichit says, bringing the attention back to him once again. “It was a fun bachelor party last night, amirite? So much shit happened and if I’m honest with you here, I don’t remember much of it. Viktor, can you please tell Mari the story of how Yuuri started pole dancing?”

 

“You were pole dancing?!” Mari screeched.

 

“Yeah, according to Chris’s text,” he showed them his chat log with the Swiss man, “it was the best moment of the night.”

 

“Chris’s texts hm?” Yuuri raised an eyebrow, happy to go back to teasing his friend.

 

Phichit paled. “No, no, no. It’s not what it looks like!”

 

“You’re right, Phichit. It’s probably not what it looks like,” Viktor agreed.

 

“Thank-”

 

“Yeah, knowing him, there’s probably a lot more going on behind the scenes that he refuses to tell us,” Yuuri joked, glancing at a chuckling Viktor next to him.

 

“You’re so cruel. Both of you!”

 

“I do have to say,” Viktor added, now completely serious. “Although Chris was partially right about the best part of the night, it's not entirely true. No, the best moment of the night was actually when Yuuri came home very very late and he surprised me with his big, massive-”

 

“Viktor!”

 

“I was just gonna say 'confidence',” Viktor said innocently. “But seriously, Yuuri, as much as I love talking about what happened last night, we should really get going now. I have something I would like to discuss with you,” Viktor said. To anyone else, Viktor’s words would have sounded relatively normal. But to Yuuri, they sounded very ominous, as if he’ll finally have to face the horrible thing that he had dreaded thus far.

 

“You’re right,” Yuuri has no choice but to oblige. “We should get going.”

 

Viktor’s grip on his hand tightens slightly but loosens just as quickly as it was tightened. “Let’s go, _kotyonok_.”

 

“Bye you guys!” Mari waves at them. “Hope you stay safe!”

 

“See you later Yuuri! Later Viktor!” Phichit adds on, then turns his attention to his phone and furiously texts a message to someone. Probably Chris.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Viktor is silent as they make their way out the doors and step outside. Light winds flow through the branches of the cherry blossoms, allowing pink and white petals to drift in the fresh summer air. Minako’s studio is only a couple of blocks away and the weather is nice enough to take a stroll through the neighborhood. Yuuri closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as they walk together.

 

They’re still holding hands and Yuuri still feels the small flutter in his chest whenever he looks at the man next to him. His body erupts in goosebumps whenever Viktor touches him, but his heart is now beating incredibly fast for a different reason. Yuuri is still unsure of what to say to Viktor, he wants to say something, _anything_ , to make this ever growing tension between them easier. But nothing comes out. His mind is drawing a blank. Viktor’s mask has come off and Yuuri cannot find the words to describe what he feels.

 

But he has to say something. He starts with, “Viktor?” and he waits until the silver haired man looks at him. “I-I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I just-”

 

“You don’t have to apologize Yuuri.”

 

Yuuri looks up in surprise. “I don’t?”

 

“I probably would have done the same thing if I was in your position,” Viktor began. His voice is monotone and emotionless. It doesn’t sound like Viktor at all. It sounds like it was rehearsed straight from a script. “Now, I’ll admit, it was incredibly stupid of you to do what you did without telling me, but you did it. It happened. It’s in the past and there’s nothing we can do to change it now. I think we should just-” he stops mid sentence and shakes his head as if that’s not what he meant to say.

 

“A relationship like this one should be based on trust, don’t you think?” he says instead and looks at Yuuri for a response. All Yuuri can do is nod in agreement. “And for there to be trust, you have to talk to me. There has to be this mutual communication between us, otherwise we’ll just leave each other in the dust and this weekend will turn into a disaster.”

 

“Viktor-” Yuuri began.

 

“Hold on, let me finish. What I’ve been trying to say is, we shouldn’t let something as small as the fight we had earlier ruin the image that we’ve spent so long creating for your family.”

 

“It’s not just that Viktor, I mean-” Yuuri starts. Viktor turns to look at him and a small flash of hurt shows in his ocean blue eyes but it disappears quickly. The momentary hurt in Viktor’s eyes just made Yuuri feel that much guiltier about what he’s done. How can he explain something in a way that Viktor would understand? What can he possibly say to him so that Viktor won’t hate him anymore? “I never meant to hurt you. I just… How do I explain this?”

 

“There’s- there’s this voice inside my head. A voice that holds me back and constantly makes me doubt myself, making me always think that I’m never good enough. And for a while, I believed it to be true. I was too afraid of what would happen that I never stopped to think about what was actually good for me,” Yuuri stops walking for a second and sits down at one of the benches of a nearby park, feeling the need to focus on what he was saying rather than walking and talking. Viktor copies Yuuri’s action, sitting down next to him with a calm expression that says _go on, I’m listening._

 

“Then you came into my life a couple days ago. And you… Well, look at you.” Yuuri gestured up and down Viktor’s sitting form. “You’re absolutely perfect. The most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. You’re smart and funny and talented. You’re everything I’ve ever wished for, and the fact that you were going to be mine for a couple of days made my heart soar higher than the stars above. I wanted you from the moment I saw you at that airport. Not only that, Makkachin liked me too and that was a big plus.”

 

Viktor smiled and laughed at the memory, his cheeks are slightly tinged pink. His eyes sparkling with attentiveness with his gaze fixed on the cherry blossoms in front of them. He’s so kind and considerate. It’s enough to make Yuuri fall in love with him all over again.

 

Yuuri took a deep breath and continued with his gaze to the floor, unable to look at the man beside him for the next part. “But that voice, Viktor. That damn voice. It said things like, ‘why would he ever want you back? You’re nobody, you don’t deserve him’ or ‘why would this perfect person ever want someone like me? Why would he ever want someone who doesn’t even like _himself_ ?’ I mean, you _do_ do this for a living, so why am I any different than the people you've escorted before?” He feels tears start to form but he stubbornly pushes them back, thinking about how he has no right to cry right now. Not when he needs to let his true thoughts out.

 

“I always felt like a weakling, like a prisoner inside my own mind, and was too scared to ever reach out and ask for help whenever I needed it. I knew that Minako-sensei, Nishigori, Yuuko, and my family never treated me like a weakling. They all had faith that I’d keep growing as a person, and they never stepped over the line.”

 

“Yuuri,” Viktor began, his gaze still on the cherry blossoms in front of them. “You’re not a weak person. No one else thinks that, either.”

 

“I know, Viktor,” he sighs, leaving a moment of silence in order for him to collect exactly what he wanted to say. “I just wanted to say that… last night was… undoubtedly the most amazing night of my life. And… after what happened this morning, I just couldn’t live with myself after realizing that I hurt you. I’m truly sorry for what I did and for not telling you about this earlier. I’m so sorry. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me.”

 

There’s no answer from the other man. He half expected Viktor to agree with his terrible thoughts and say ‘no, I’m not able to forgive you’. He half expected Viktor to say nothing and walk away, leaving him behind forever. But he didn’t expect to be brought into a bone crushing, heart-warming hug.

 

“Oh Yuuri,” Viktor whispers. “My Yuuri. Of course I forgive you.” They hold each other in their arms for what feels like the longest hug ever. Yuuri takes a deep breath and exhales, the scent of lavender is still evident on Viktor’s skin from the shower earlier today. Viktor brings his head back, keeping Yuuri at arms distance with his face suddenly serious. “But there’s something else you should hear first.”

 

And that’s the moment Yuuri feels his heart drop down to his stomach.

 

 _Uh-oh_ , Yuuri thinks. He can’t help himself. How is it possible that Viktor has him practically hanging by a single thread? Why is it that no matter how much Yuuri prepares himself for rejection, there’s still the possibility that everything will shatter into a million pieces, and he will always be left to pick up the pieces _alone_?

 

“I should have told you this a long time ago. But-” _Here we go._ Yuuri thinks. _Goodbye Viktor. Thank you for giving me a week to remember. It was nice knowing you._

 

“Do you remember yesterday, when I showed you one of my moves against that car?”

 

_What._

 

Yuuri nods once, confused as to where Viktor is going with this.

 

“You asked me if I was ever attracted to any of my clients, remember? And I told you that the information was confidential?” Viktor waits for Yuuri to nod before he continues. “Well the truth is, I’ve never been attracted to any of my clients.”

 

_What._

 

“What?” he voices.

 

“I’ve never been attracted to any of them because,” Viktor’s eyes sparkle under the shadows of the cherry blossom branches. His silvery hair sways in response to the light blow of the summer wind. “Well, because they weren’t _you_.”

 

Yuuri blinks once. Out of all things to come out of Viktor’s lovely mouth, he definitely wasn’t expecting a confession like this.

 

“What?” Yuuri repeats, not confident enough to say anything else.

 

The silver haired man chuckled and gives Yuuri a smile. A special kind of smile that he’s never given to anyone else before. The kind of smile that was reserved only for a lover. Only for Yuuri.

 

“I probably should have been clearer with my true feelings… I like you, Yuuri Katsuki. I like you much more than I’m allowed, I’m afraid.”

 

“You do?” Yuuri whispers, unable to control the swelling in his chest as he listens to Viktor’s loving words.

 

Viktor hums approval and rests his face against the side of Yuuri’s. “I do,” he repeats, his voice a smooth vibrato that Yuuri feels in his bones.

 

“In that case,” Yuuri smiles against Viktor’s cheek. “I like you too, Viktor Nikiforov. Much more than I’m allowed as well.”

 

And Viktor, being the romantic that he is, places soft kisses against the side of Yuuri’s face, softly brushing his temples and ear as he goes. He trails down to Yuuri’s jaw and brings his head back slightly. He tilts Yuuri’s chin up with a thumb and index finger and hovers over his lips as if asking for permission. Yuuri closes the distance and brings them together after having been separated for so long.

 

Yuuri feels himself relax into the kiss as they hold each other tighter. Through the kiss, true emotions are shown. Emotions that are so pure and so powerful that anyone nearby can feel it. Emotions that are so passionate that Yuuri will be able to feel it many years into the future. He tilts his head to deepen the kiss and sighs happily at the touch. His mind is overcome with thoughts of Viktor, rather than thoughts of literally anything else. His love for Viktor is not one sided. Viktor loves him back. And he couldn’t be happier.

 

“We’re going to be late,” Yuuri mumbles against Viktor’s lips when they slightly pull back from their kiss to breathe.

 

“Just shut up and kiss me again, Yuuri.”

 

And he does.

 

 

* * *

 

Needless to say, they were _very_ late.

 

So late in fact, that they were hounded by an angry Minako the moment they stepped into the dance studio.

 

“I have been looking for you two everywhere, where the hell have you been?”

 

“It seems as if they were otherwise preoccupied, Minako-sensei,” Nishigori chuckled, apparently noticing the couple’s disheveled appearances. He lets go of Minako’s hand in order for the boys to join their circle.

 

“Yuuri, what have I told you about being late? We have too much to do and so little time-” Minako began as Yuuri grabbed her hand and joined the circle with Viktor to his right.

 

“Minako,” Viktor said calmly.

 

“We're behind schedule and the couple still needs to learn the wedding dance!”

 

“Minako.”

 

“Do you know what this does to my blood sugar? We're only two days away from the wedding!”

 

“Minako!”

 

“What?!”

 

“Relax, we’re here now. I see how important this is to you,” Viktor tells her with his eyes sparkling. “Your star student has told me quite a lot about what a wonderful teacher you are.”

 

“Hello, Viktor,” she greets him, aware of the fact that she didn't do that earlier. Her outburst is completely forgotten and replaced with an obvious curiosity. “And really? What else did he tell you about me?”

 

“That you’re beautiful, kind, determined, and passionate about dance. You know. Only the good stuff.”

 

“Uh-huh,” she responds with her eyebrow raised and a small pink blush on her cheeks.

 

“You should also know that I'm a fast learner and I’m just as excited about this dance as you are,” Viktor continues. “Especially if it gives me a chance to dance with my Yuuri at the wedding.”

 

She sighs and looks at her young protege. “I hope you still know what you’re doing Yuuri.”

 

“Trust me, Minako,” Viktor answers for Yuuri. “Everything will be perfect by the time the wedding gets here. I promise.”

 

“I hope so Viktor,” she closes her eyes. “I hope so.”

 

She slightly tightens her grip on Yuuri’s hand, and takes in a deep breath, visibly trying to relax before they continue any further. The others follow her lead, bowing their heads down in silence and breathing at the same time, trying to obtain the essence of peace and relaxation. “Let’s begin,” Minako says a minute later. “But keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them.”

 

Nishigori opens one eye anyway, taking a look around the group to see what everyone else is doing. His fiancé opens her eye too, gently squeezes his hand, and gives him a look that says ‘pay attention’. She returns to their original position, inspiring him to do the same. He chuckles a little under his breath and closes his eye once again, patiently waiting to hear whatever Minako has to say.

 

“The wedding dance is… the most important dance moment in someone’s life. It’s a symbol of a couple’s compatibility. It marks the couple’s acceptance of each other for the rest of their lives. And most importantly, it’s a symbol of a couple’s love for one another. A successful dance requires cooperation, commitment, patience, and forgiveness. Use your wedding dance as an outlet to show your true emotions to one another.

 

“Allow me to set the scene for you so that way you know what to expect when you go out and dance your first dance as a married couple. Imagine a beautiful pink and purple sunset in the background of your outdoor wedding, small lights in mason jars hanging from the ceiling, a light colored hardwood floor in the center of the room, white table cloths covering the round tables with chairs facing the dance floor. Imagine everyone you have invited sitting at those tables, friends and family. They will all be watching, smiling, and probably betting on how long the marriage will last.

 

“Keep in mind,” she continues. “All you’ll have is each other, and whatever skills you will continue to acquire today.” Her eyes open this time as she lets go of their joined hands and claps three times to snap her audience awake. “Now, let’s get started shall we? Pair off everyone!”

 

Yuuko and Nishigori step to the side, their hands landing correctly on their partner’s shoulders and waists, giving off the impression that they've had a couple of lessons before this one but not enough to be fully confident in their abilities. Even though they may not have a lot of experience in dancing, they seem at ease in each other's arms, like they're meant to be there. The soon-to-be Nishigoris really are an adorable couple and Yuuri couldn't be happier for them. All of the hard feelings between the three of them that existed in their younger years has disappeared and now all that remains is the chance for a new beginning.

 

He looks away from the couple and finds a comforting set of blue eyes watching him intently. A hand rests on top of his in an effort to pull him off to the other side. Yuuri hears a smooth upbeat melody that echoes throughout the studio’s speakers and the lovely voice of Michael Bublé start to sing as Viktor wraps an arm around his waist.

 

_♪♪♪ When marimba rhythms start to play, dance with me, make me sway. Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore, hold me close, sway me more ♪♪♪_

 

“You should know, Viktor,” Yuuri says as they start to move with Viktor taking the lead. He steps backwards as Viktor steps forward, trying to match each other’s movements as they get into the beat of the song. “I don’t want to step on any toes or anything but I haven’t danced with a partner since I was 18.”

 

“Why don’t I believe you?” Viktor questioned with a grin. “You seemed to dance perfectly well with me last night.”

 

“Still,” he says biting his lower lip and feeling his cheeks start to heat up. “That was different.”

 

“How so?”

 

“Well, for one thing-” Yuuri stumbled slightly on his next step, feeling strong hands keep him upright. “For one thing I turn into a completely different person when I’m drunk. I’m just like my father and tend to go off the rails. Whatever dancing you saw yesterday is probably a one time thing.”

 

The couple move back and forth in repetition, dancing a tango that’s a little rough around the edges. It’s hard to dance with a partner that’s so distracting and a mind that refuses to shut up.

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

“What? Why?”

 

“Look, the Yuuri I met at the airport was the same Yuuri as last night, right?”

 

“No.” Yuuri stubbornly shakes his head. “Not right.”

 

“Well I think they are. You just need to start believing in yourself. You need to see _you_ the way _I_ see you,” Viktor says, his words obviously not helping. It’s so easy to say ‘you need to start believing in yourself’. It’s so easy to say ‘you need to gain more confidence’. But how? How on earth is he supposed to gain the confidence he needs without having that treacherous little voice to ground him?

 

“Do you want to take the lead?” Viktor offers, suddenly stopping his movement mid-step. This deliberate action caused an inattentive Yuuri to accidentally trip over Viktor’s foot. _Oh how embarrassing it must be for an ex-professional dancer to trip over his partner’s feet,_ a thought escapes. Luckily, Yuuri was saved from falling to his doom by Viktor’s steady hands, quickly shooting out to grab Yuuri’s shoulders.

 

Yuuri narrows his eyes at his partner, momentarily thinking that Viktor tripped him on purpose. But there’s no reason for Viktor to trip him, even if Yuuri was a bad dancer. Which he’s not. Jesus, he seriously needs to pull himself together, he’s making himself look bad. And especially since Minako entrusted him to keep up with the dance routine and teach it to Viktor. But how can Yuuri pull himself together when he feels _so_ out of place?

 

An idea quickly starts to form, begging for Yuuri to take it and leave all other thoughts behind. _Maybe._ _Maybe if I try something different?_

 

Now, nothing but actions exist. In a split second, a shocked pair of blue eyes are just inches away and a warm chest is tightly pressed up against his own. The hand that protected him from falling to the ground is now resting on his shoulder and the other is in his grip. Yuuri is leading now, for his gestures speak louder than his words and his passion for dance is reignited.

 

_♪♪♪ Other dancers may be on the floor. Dear, but my eyes will see only you. Only you have that magic technique, when we sway I go weak ♪♪♪_

 

Those big blue eyes that Yuuri loves so much had changed from shock to realization as their steps match much more than they did before. Viktor smiles at his partner, who somehow managed to regain his composure and dance as if they were performing on _Dancing With the Stars_. Yuuri’s sinful hips move to Michael Bublé’s voice in the background, singing about hearing violins long before they begin and swaying him smooth.

 

Before they knew it,  Viktor and Yuuri are spinning and laughing, completely unaware of their environment, acting as if they are the only two people in the world. They find each other's arms again, this time matching each other’s steps as if they’ve spent months practicing for a dance they’ve only just now learned.

 

_♪♪♪ Like a flower bending in the breeze, bend with me, sway with ease. When we dance you have a way with me, stay with me, sway with me ♪♪♪_

 

Viktor grins at his partner, obviously content to follow each and every one of Yuuri’s movements like a mirror. A warning was not given to Viktor when Yuuri pulls him even closer to his body than ever before and then dipping him so low, that he’s only a few inches from touching the ground. It was a highly skillful move that involves a lot of trust and strength from both partners.

 

“Wow!” Viktor can’t help saying as he’s pulled up, his silver bangs falling into his vision from the speed of the movement. “Amazing!”

 

Yuuko and Nishigori stop their own dance just to watch the pure chemistry that’s between the other couple, all wrapped up in their own slow-motion world that they neglected to see the world at normal speed around them. Even Minako is watching, mesmerized at the impromptu tango that was born before their eyes.

 

Yuuri’s cheeks hurt too much from smiling, his laughter so contagious that Viktor adds his own laughter to the mix. Whenever Viktor is dipped, he comes back up with dilated pupils and the happiest look on his face, like this is what he’s always wanted in life and he finally has it. Now that Yuuri knows just how happy Viktor is when they’re dancing, he promises to find a way to dance with him all the time and keep his partner happy for as long as he possibly can.

 

_♪♪♪ When we dance you have a way with me, stay with me, sway with me ♪♪♪_

 

He mentally thanked Minako for all those dancing lessons as a child and he mentally thanked whatever higher power exists that allowed him to remember these dance moves after not using them for over five years.

 

When the music crescendos and comes to an end, the couple embraces, still swaying to the music that continues to play on in their minds.

 

“Woah,” Yuuko voices a couple of seconds later, bringing Viktor and Yuuri out of their after-dance haze. “Yuuri, it looks like you still got it!”

 

“Woah Viktor,” Nishigori continues, tagging his own comment along with his fiancé’s. “You’ve got some moves too!”

 

“It’s not me,” Viktor says, pulling Yuuri to his side and places a quick kiss on his cheek. “It was all Yuuri. I swear, it’s like he’s magic!”

 

“Viktor!”

 

“What? It’s the truth!” Then Viktor leans in closer to Yuuri’s ear and lowers his voice so only Yuuri can hear. “Your moves were so sexy, _zolotse_. It was enough to leave me begging for more.”

 

“Thank you, Vitya,” Yuuri whispers back. “But you haven’t seen the best part yet.”

 

“Oh yeah? What’s the best part?”

 

“I’ll show you when we get home,” Yuuri smirks and presses his lips on the skin behind VIktor’s ear, making him visibly shiver. Viktor has never wanted to go home more in his life than he does at this moment.

 

“I can’t wait to see it, _kotyonok_.”

 

“Alright, alright. Enough of that,” Minako interfered. “Michael Bublé was only the beginning. That song was only a warm up. _Here’s_ where the fun begins!” She rubs her hands together and laughs. “There’s so much more to do and so little time!”

 

The reality of Minako’s words hit everyone too late. They all groaned in unison at all the new dances they have to learn in the next hour.

 

“Why do we have to learn all these new dances? Can’t we just sway to the music instead?” Nishigori asks, already aware of the answer.

 

Minako gasped. “Takeshi, it’s like you don’t know me at all! You can’t just ‘sway’ to all of your wedding dances. Have I taught you nothing?”

 

“You really haven’t,” he muttered under his breath. But Minako has the ears of a bat, she can hear anything. Yuuri should know after all the times he’s sworn under his breath and was forced to practice more pirouettes than necessary.

 

“I heard that Takeshi. Yuuko, please remind your fiancé that this is my dance studio and if you want to have a memorable wedding dance you have to listen to what I say?”

 

Yuuko laughs at her fiancé’s pouting face. “She’s right, dear.”

 

“Thank you,” Minako crosses her arms and rests them above her stomach. “You’re lucky I like both of you, otherwise you’ll be doing suicides til your whole body is sore.”

 

Yuuri shivers at the mention of suicides. He’s lost track of how many times Minako made him do those agonizing exercises. He’s thankful that he doesn’t have to deal with them anymore.

 

They watch Minako pull out her phone and scroll through her library of music. Her eyes land on a certain song which has her humming in approval. Pressing it, a steady guitar beat erupts on the studio’s speakers. She presses the pause button and then slides the phone back into her pocket.

 

“Yuuko, Nishigori. I want both of you to stand over her,” Minako reaches out and instructs both of them on how to hold their starting positions, where to step, and how to move. Once she feels that the couple is ready to begin, she turns to Viktor and Yuuri.

 

“As for you two,” Minako says, waving a finger at them. “Great job. You boys are off the hook. You’re free to dance however you would like at the wedding - just make sure it’s PG-rated. It’s completely your choice to leave now or stay behind a little and dance some more. I’m not going to bother you so much anymore because I’m more focused on teaching them. Okay?”

 

“Thanks Minako,” Yuuri tells her. “But as much as I’ve missed dancing, I think it’s best if we go out to eat as soon as possible. I’m kind of hungry.” _Hungry for my boyfriend._

 

As if Viktor read his mind, he chuckled under his breath. He moves to stand behind Yuuri, resting his arm around Yuuri’s shoulder and smiles when Yuuri reaches up to hold him in return.

 

“Of course,” Minako nods, ignoring the double meaning of Yuuri’s words and the small exchange between the couple. “Enjoy your time together and I’ll see both of you tomorrow at the picnic!”

 

The boys gave them one last farewell, wishing the other couple the best of luck on their dances. When Minako presses the play button on her phone, the studio erupts in song again. Yuuko and Nishigori move in the tempo of the strumming guitar and a man’s gentle voice in the background. The song sounds surprisingly familiar, as if it's a song that's commonly used for weddings.

 

Yuuri looks around at the studio one last time before they leave. Minako’s pink lettered name stands tall against the floor to ceiling mirrors. Her dance trophies are still in the corner of the room, proudly on display for anyone to see. A picture of her in her 20s, shaking the hand of a famous dancer that Yuuri can't quite remember the name of.

 

He glances at Viktor, his mouth curling into a smile. Yuuri leans his head against his boyfriend's shoulder, sighing at the memories of his younger self, the one who danced to escape his conflicting emotions. Viktor places a soft kiss on the top of Yuuri’s head, wordlessly asking him if he's okay. The younger man nods and gratefully accepts Viktor’s outstretched hand.

 

When they step out of the studio, Yuuri feels something start to change in himself. His old fear of facing a past that used to haunt him, is slowly disappearing from existence. All he can do now is hope that it won't return any time soon.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:37 pm

 

_Can you do me a favor?_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:40 pm

 

_That all depends on what the favor is._

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:41 pm

 

_Can I borrow Baby?_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:42 pm

 

_Viktor, I know how much you love that car but you keep asking at the worst times._

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:44 pm

 

_Why?_

_What’s going on?_

_Is it a bad time?_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:47 pm

 

_Omg I swear_

_Im gonna turn off my phone if you keep asking all these questions._

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:50 pm

 

_Sorry_

_I just need my baby and then I’ll leave you alone_

_I promise_ _( ´ ♡  ` )_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:55 pm

 

_Ugh_

_Fine._

_She’s in the garage_

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:56 pm

 

_Yay! Thanks Chris_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:57 pm

 

_No problemo_

_Just dont come inside_

_I don’t want you to scare off Masumi_

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 2:59 pm

 

_Masumi?_

_Who’s that?_

_Are you seeing someone new?_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:02 pm

 

_Yes_

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:04 pm

 

_I hate when you do that to me_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:05 pm

 

_Do what?_

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:06 pm

 

_Leave me hanging with one word responses_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:08 pm

 

_Sorry_

_Not sorry lol_

_Now leave me alone_

_Im bout to get some_

_Unless you want to hear the details about my sex life :P_

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:09 pm

 

_Id rather not think about it tbh_

_Good luck!_

_And thanks again for Baby_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:09 pm

 

_Viktor I stg_

_She’s your car! Just take her!_

 

 **To:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:10 pm

 

_Ok lol_

_Have fun_

_( ´ ♡  ` )_

 

 **From:** Christophe

 **Time:** 3:10 pm

 

_Don’t tell me what to do :P_

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Yuuri, darling. Before we go out, there's someone I want you to meet. I'm sure you'll love her the moment you lay eyes on her.”

 

“Okay,” Yuuri says with his eyes closed, letting Viktor guide him through the movements by gently pulling his arm.

 

“She's absolutely stunning. I haven't seen her in two years but she's still as beautiful as ever,” he says as Makkachin trots around behind the couple, sniffing almost everything in his path. “I hope you'll like her.”

 

“You sound really excited about this. My interest is piqued.”

 

“I _am_ excited, Yuuri! I've wanted you to meet my baby for the longest time!”

 

“You have a baby?” Yuuri asked with surprise in his voice.

 

“Yes, she's my pride and joy,” Viktor boasted. He sneaks a glance at the other man, making sure he hasn’t opened his eyes yet and ruined the surprise. Although Yuuri has his eyes closed, he somehow manages to look surprised with his eyebrows raised and his mouth hanging open. He seems as if he was about to say something but shuts his mouth when Viktor says, “Okay, you can open your eyes now, Yuuri!”

 

The man obeys, his chocolate brown orbs focusing on the hot pink Cadillac convertible shimmering in the soft light of the garage. Baby still looks the same as she did the moment he first saw her at that auction. _She hasn’t aged a day_ , Viktor thinks as he walks around the car, reminding himself just how much he missed her. He drags his fingers along the smooth metal, he remembers the strong engine underneath that pink hood, and is reminded of the feeling of freedom as the wind flows through his long silver hair.

 

In the years he’s been gone, Viktor had made sure that she was taken good care of, often asking Christophe to look after her whenever he’s not around. And if Chris wasn’t around, he’d ask his old friend Leo, who specializes in fixing antique cars. But now, he gets to take Baby out for a well deserved spin, and spend time with the one person who needs a vacation just as much as he does.

 

“Isn't she a beauty?” Viktor asks, resting his elbows on the edge of the driver door, and looks at Yuuri’s shocked appearance.

 

“Your baby is a hot pink Cadillac?”

 

“Yes she is! She's an original 1959 Cadillac with classic white wheels and white leather seats. Perfect for our little impromptu trip to the beach, right?” Viktor was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet waiting for Yuuri’s response.

 

Makkachin waits for Viktor to open the passenger door like they've done this many times before. When he opens the door, the dog jumps inside, acting as if he was meeting an old friend. He then proceeds to sniff the leather seat and sit down with his head held up high and his tongue sticking out. Makkachin tilts his head to the side to look at Yuuri, smiling in a way that dogs always do.

 

“She _is_ nice,” Yuuri finally says, reaching out to touch the shining pink metal. He glances at Viktor. “How'd you get a car like this?”

 

“Oh, she was a gift. A few years ago, an old friend of mine took me to a classic car auction. Said I needed a break from work. He showed me all of these luxury cars but none of them caught my interest. I was just about to leave the gallery when something pink caught my eye. I saw Baby and I did something incredibly spontaneous for the first time in my life. I negotiated with the dealer and my friend bought her for me as a thank you. She's been in my life and thoughts ever since.”

 

“Wow, what kind of friend do you have that they bought you a car like this as a gift?” Yuuri runs his fingers along the leather seats, closing his eyes at the feeling.

 

Viktor gulps. _No, Viktor,_ he thinks. _Whatever you do. Do not think about ravishing Yuuri in the backseat of the car. Do not think about ravishing Yuuri in the front seat of the car. Don't you dare think about doing it on the hood of the car either. Fuck._ It's no use. His mind has already created the images. He thinks about Yuuri’s soft skin underneath him as they do it over the smooth leather seats or across the metal hood. If it feels this good in his imagination, it'll probably feel fucking fantastic in real life. He'll have to get Yuuri to do it with him sometime while they're here.

 

“Viktor?” The angelic voice asks. _Fuck, I love his voice too. Why are you so attractive, Yuuri?_

 

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something. What was I talking about, again?” he asks, purposefully leaving out his fantasy about making love in his car.

 

“You were talking about the friend that bought you Baby,” Yuuri reminds him.

 

“Oh right,” Viktor remembers, not wanting to get rid of his daydream but continues with the story anyways. “Have you heard of Jean Jacques Leroy? He’s a really famous singer up in Canada. No? That's fine, it's not important to the story. Anyway, he met his current wife through the escort service. It was around the time where I wanted to do something different in the business, so I was the one who decided the compatibility of the people that filled out the questionnaire. He was paired with one of our escorts, Isabella, and they instantly hit it off. Eventually, they became a couple and JJ wanted to thank me for being the reason he met his soulmate. Fast forward a couple of years, and now here we are at this moment in time, ready to head off to the beach and have the relaxing vacation that we both deserve.”

 

“Were you-” Yuuri hesitated. “Were you the one who chose me to be your match? In the questionnaire, I mean?”

 

“As much as I would like to, no, I didn't. You see, Yakov changed the rules so that couples are chosen by a computer algorithm just in case human errors wouldn't be made in the selection process. The algorithm method was born a couple of years ago, so if you think about it, we got matched by chance. Or as I like to call it, fate.”

 

“Wow.”

 

“But,” Viktor felt the the need to explain himself further. “If it had happened any other way, I would definitely chose you to be my match.”

 

“How would you have known it was me?” Yuuri laughs. “That you still would have chosen me?”

 

Viktor looked at him. He looked at him like he had never seen a more beautiful sight before. He looked at him like he was the one who put all the stars in the sky. Like he is the reason love exists in the world.

 

“I would always choose you, Yuuri. And I always will.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

If someone would have told a younger Yuuri that he would see the warm Hasetsu beaches again after so many long years with the man of his dreams by his side, he probably wouldn’t believe them. He would laugh at them and push a suggestion like that in the far corners of his mind, never thinking about it again. The only time he would ever think about something like that is when he would lie awake at night, with tears dripping down his face, and he felt hopelessly and regrettably alone.

 

Now, he doesn’t feel as alone anymore.

 

Because the unexpected happened to him.

 

Because Viktor Nikiforov came into his life.

 

Because Viktor is happily dragging him by the hand, smiling at him, leading him to the sea.

 

Viktor, who strips off his short sleeved Hawaiian shirt and runs into the water, inviting Yuuri to do the same. Viktor, who’s not afraid to start a water fight, reaching down to cup as much water as he can hold and playfully throws it at Yuuri. They splash water at each other until one surrenders and the other tackles them into the waist deep water, giggling the entire time and rewarding each other with quick kisses.

 

They run on the beach alongside the edge of the sea, laughing and chasing each other with each movement as graceful as the last. Makkachin happily runs with them, barking every so often, heading straight towards the water. The dog comes out of the sea completely soaked, sneaking up on his relaxing owners and scaring them awake with the sudden shake of his fur and water spraying everywhere.

 

Yuuri definitely feels more at ease with himself now that Viktor is by his side.

 

He lifts himself up higher every time he sees the marks he’s left behind on Viktor’s neck and chest, the marks that are visible to the whole world and the marks that only he can see (the ones that are hidden by his swim trunks and on his inner thighs). He smiles back at Viktor and kisses him senseless, removing the horrid Hawaiian shirt once again and lets his eyes wander. The moonlight yesterday and the fogginess of his memories don’t do Viktor justice.

 

In Viktor’s lap, he can see everything. Every freckle that is scattered across his shoulders, every sun kissed inch of skin, every grain of sand that hadn’t washed off in the sea. He presses his lips on the marks once again and hears Viktor suck in a quick breath, closing his eyes in anticipation.

 

“Yuuri?” he asks after the hundredth kiss.

 

“Mmmm,” Yuuri responds, tugging on the waistband of his beach shorts.

 

“I’ve been thinking,” his breathing is heavy now that Yuuri moved lower. “I’ve talked quite a bit about me. Tell me something about you. Something that you’ve never told anyone. Something that excites you.”

 

“You excite me.”

 

“I- oh fuck,” Viktor throws his head back on the sand, his back arching in response Yuuri’s sinful mouth. “What if someone sees?”

 

“This is a private beach. Nobody will care,” Yuuri lifts up his head, his pupils dilated. “I've always wanted to do this.”

 

“Do what?” Viktor asks, propping himself up on his elbows, fixing the scrunched up towel underneath him making it more comfortable to lie down on.

 

“I've always wanted to be alone with someone on a private beach. So that way I can do this,” his tongue swirls around the already leaking head, making sure to coerce the loudest moans from the man who didn't have a chance to see this coming. “Without worrying about being quiet,” he says when he separates himself from Viktor’s already aching cock.

 

The silver haired man says something that was muffled under the arm covering his face.

 

“Say that again, Vitya?” Yuuri teases him, licking a stripe along the underside of Viktor’s shaft.

 

“Please keep calling me that,” the man says so quietly that Yuuri wasn’t quite sure if what he heard was correct.

 

“Calling you what?” He nuzzles his face against Viktor’s length and marked up thigh. “ _Vitya_?” Viktor nods frantically. “You like it when I call you that, don’t you? What about if I call you, the sexiest man on earth? Would you like that?”

 

“ _Yuuri_ ,” Viktor warns, his voice dripping with lust.

 

“Or would you prefer...” his eyes connect with Viktor’s blue ones. “ _Mine._ ”

 

Viktor groaned and closes his eyes as if this conversation is too much for him to bare. “Yes. Please, just,” he begs. “Don't stop.”

 

“Okay, _my Vitya_.” Yuuri continues where he left off, his tongue sliding around Viktor’s length, flicking at the sensitive head every so often. He smiles around Viktor, humming every time he hears a whimper turn into a groan above him.

 

When he takes Viktor deeper into his mouth, the man above him cries out, bucking his hips slightly at the feeling. Yuuri hollows his cheeks and sucks him harder, feeling Viktor reach down to grab handfuls of his jet black hair to tug on the strands.

 

“Oh god, Yuuri. You feel so good,” the man moans.

 

Their breathing is faster now, the rhythm of Viktor’s hips matching the bobbing of Yuuri’s head. Yuuri uses his free hand to wrap around the base of Viktor’s shaft, feeling accomplished when Viktor shudders against the contact. And to make the moment even more interesting, Yuuri makes eye contact with those eyes that he loves so much. Those eyes that are bluer than the ocean that’s behind them. Those eyes that cause him to go weak at the knees. He feels the tension in his partner’s body, begging for release.

 

He thinks about how beautiful Viktor looks in the orange sunlight. He thinks about his newfound confidence that somehow managed to get stronger the minute Viktor came into his life. It’s still a work in progress but if he’s managed to make it this far without breaking down completely, Yuuri takes it as a good sign. He notices the trembling body beneath him and makes sure to savor every moment in his memory. He prides himself on the delicious faces and noises that Viktor makes when he’s writhing with pleasure.

 

Suddenly, a realization dawns on him. Yuuri is the one who’s making Viktor feel this way. Yuuri is the only one who can see this wonderful person in this state of being.

 

He makes a decision that he plans to stand by at the end of this week: Yuuri wants to be known as the man who stole Viktor from the world.

 

Just when the pleasure is too much to bare and his nerve endings buzz from the indulgence, Yuuri separates himself from Viktor’s cock with a loud pop of his lips. Viktor’s eyes fly open but close just as quickly when Yuuri smashes his lips against his. He frames Viktor’s face with his hands and pours every bit of Eros he has into the kiss, feeling the other man reach down to squeeze the thickness of Yuuri’s ass. Then, a small whine comes from Viktor causing them to break apart.

 

“That was cruel, _zolotse_ ,” Viktor says once he catches his breath. Yuuri chuckles above him, giving him one more kiss before rolling over to lie down next to him.

 

“You loved it,” Yuuri retaliates, threading his fingers with Viktor’s.

 

“I did love it, yes,” Viktor pouted, his bottom lip jutting out purposefully. “But I would have loved it even more if you let me finish.”

 

Yuuri turns to look at the silver haired man. “What are you gonna do about it?” he asked mischievously, already prepared for the answer.

 

In one smooth motion, Viktor was hovering over Yuuri, a newfound fire in his eyes. “I’m gonna do what I do best.”

 

“And what do you do best?”

 

“Surprise you.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

By the time the sky had turned into soft shades of oranges and reds, Yuuri is dozing off on Viktor’s chest, softly snoring in time to the waves crashing on the shore. Viktor turns to his left and finds Makkachin’s head resting on his upper thigh, his eyes closed and his breathing relaxed. It’s such a beautiful picture really. The person that he loves so much trusts him enough to show him his most vulnerable state.

 

He pulls out his phone and turns on the camera, snapping a picture of him and the sleeping beauty on his chest. Checking the picture in his photo album, he finds his camera roll filled with pictures of Yuuri and Makkachin and decides to scroll through each one, taking his time to memorize them. Pictures of them enjoying Katsudon for the first time in New York, pictures of Yuuri trying out that gorgeous striped shirt in the Burberry, some foggy pictures of the bachelor party, and the most recent picture of Yuuri asleep on his chest with a orange hue in the background. He changes that picture to his wallpaper and exits out of the photo app, smiling at how good it looks.

 

He was just about to turn off his phone when he receives a notification from the person he least expected a text message from.

 

 **From:** Unknown

 **Time:** 6:51 pm

 

_Hey Viktor, this is Phichit. Chris gave me yur number._

_He said something about going back to Florida soon,_

_and asked me if you could come to Yu-topia rn_

_bc he wants to talk to u about something._

_He didn’t say what he wanted to talk to u about tho_

 

 _That’s weird_ , Viktor thought. _Why didn’t Chris just text me himself?_ His phone buzzes with another text.

 

 **From:** Phichit

 **Time:** 6:52 pm

 

_That txt sounded really suspicious now that I reread it_

_It’s nothing to worry about lol_

_I hope u and Yuuri had a fun time today :D_

 

 **To:** Phichit

 **Time:** 6:53 pm

 

_Thanks for telling me Phichit_

_But how come Chris didn’t text me himself?_

 

 **From:** Phichit

 **Time:** 6:54 pm

 

_It’s cuz his phone ded_

_And also I wanted to make sure you guys were ok_

 

 **To:** Phichit

 **Time:** 6:55 pm

 

_Oh_

_Yeah we’re ok. I was actually just going to bring Yuuri home soon_

 

 **From:** Phichit

 **Time:** 6:56 pm

 

_Ok good_

_Btw, you need to try Mama Katsuki’s katsudon_

_It’s soooooooo much better than the one at the NY restaurant where we usually eat in_

 

 **To:** Phichit

 **Time:** 6:57 pm

 

_I’ll keep that in mind_

_Thanks again Phichit_

 

 **From:** Phichit

 **Time:** 6:59 pm

 

_No problemo Vik_

_See ya l8r_

 

Even though Phichit’s texts assured him that nothing was wrong, Viktor couldn’t help but feel a growing ache in the pit of his stomach. Did Chris do something wrong? Did he tell Yakov about him and Yuuri? Viktor stops himself. Christophe is a very good friend of his, he wouldn’t turn against him like that. He would never tell Yakov about their private conversations.

 

But then again, this has never happened to Viktor before. What if Yakov found out some other way? He doesn’t really care about being fired now, he just hopes that Yuuri won’t have to suffer because of his mistakes. There’s the constant cloud of uncertainty when it comes to what’s going to happen after this week. What’s waiting for him when he returns to St. Petersburg?

 

He doesn’t want to think about this right now. He pushes all thoughts about the future out of his mind and plans on dealing with them later. Instead, he wraps another arm around Yuuri and snuggles up against him, wanting to savor this moment for a little while longer. Yuuri’s eyes sleepily flutter open and he shifts his body to make the position more comfortable.

 

“I don’t want to leave, Vitya,” he mutters softly against Viktor’s skin.

 

“I don’t want to leave either, _kotyonok_ , but we have to go home,” Viktor tells him, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at the sound of Yuuri’s sleepy voice. How is it possible for a single person to be so adorable and so gorgeous at the same time? Whenever his name rolls off of Yuuri’s tongue, it sounds as if it’s the most beautiful song in the world. A simple touch is enough to set his heart on fire. His warm embrace makes Viktor wish to never part with him, for fear that he won’t survive another sleepless night alone.

 

He leads to the conclusion that he has been working on for the past couple of days. Number one: Yuuri Katsuki is a gift to earth from God himself. And number two: somewhere in his youth or childhood he _must_ have done something good in order to be with Yuuri at this moment in time.

 

And to prove his points even further, Yuuri closes his eyes again and kisses Viktor’s chest, right over his heart, almost as if he had heard the thoughts running through his mind. Almost as if Yuuri was thanking him for thinking of him this way.

 

“I’m allergic to fabric softener,” Yuuri brings up suddenly. He moves out of Viktor’s grasp and sits up, looking down at a confused Viktor who stays frozen in place. “You wanted me to tell you something about myself, right?” Viktor nods once, giving Yuuri his complete and undivided attention.

 

“It’s not all fabric softeners I'm allergic to, it's just the heavily scented ones,” he begins and Viktor can see the gears working in Yuuri’s mind as he searches for something to say about himself. “I majored in comparative literature and psychology back in Detroit. I love philosophical books because their profound words help me think differently. And by differently I mean ‘outside the box’ sort of thinking. Hm. What else?” he taps a finger to his lips, an action that he unconsciously picked up from Viktor.

 

“I love dogs, obviously,” he reaches over to ruffle Makkachin’s fur, who just licks his hand in response. “They’re so cute and too good for this world. So pure. It makes sense why they would call dogs ‘man’s best friend’. Kit-kats are my favorite candy. I always eat them before finals or a huge event. In Japanese, _Kitto Katsu_ means ‘you’re sure to win’, so it’s kind of like our nation’s good luck snack,” he grins.

 

Viktor is just about ready to faint. Yuuri’s cute little Japanese accent is enough to make Viktor swoon even harder. _Note to self: Get Yuuri to speak Japanese more. No, scratch that. Get Yuuri to teach you Japanese._ Viktor can imagine it clearly. They’ll be sitting next to each other and Viktor will purposefully mess up the words so that way he can hear Yuuri speak the language with that beautiful tongue. And then when Viktor will finally say the word right, Yuuri will give him a kiss as a reward. The plan is practically foolproof.

 

It must have shown on his face because Yuuri asks, “Are you okay, Viktor?”

 

 _No, I’m not okay. Not really._ Viktor thinks. _I think I may have a language kink._  He shakes his head instead and focuses on Yuuri again. “Please go on,” he encourages.

 

Yuuri moves his shoulders in an adorable shuffle and bites his lip, unsure of what to say next. “I hate anchovies,” he says at last which makes Viktor burst out in laughter. “What? They freak me out and they don’t even taste that good!”

 

“That was so random,” Viktor says in between giggles. “But it’s good to know. I don’t like them either.”

 

The younger man lies down next to Viktor and huffs out a breath of air. They watch as the sun starts to hide beneath the sea and the colors of the sky change to mixtures of purple and blue. The waves continue to crash into the shore and the crickets begin to chirp their song of the night. Yuuri closes his eyes and opens them again, finding his partner’s gaze already on him.

 

“But most importantly,” Yuuri visibly gulps, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly when he speaks. “I think-” he starts but shakes his head no, changing his mind on whatever he was about to say.

 

“Tell me,” Viktor asks patiently, unaware that Yuuri’s next words will cause him to cry tears of happiness.

 

“I think I would miss you even if we never met.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love love confessions? They're so cute and fluffy and they're so fun to write. 
> 
> Anyway, the dance scene was taken straight from the movie (sort of) Viktor and Yuuri were wearing similar kinds of outfits as the characters in the movie. 
> 
> The inspiration for Phichit's middle name was taken from the fic [you've got a frond in me by xylophones](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11632425).
> 
> The M-F-E-O part came from the movie Sleepless in Seattle, one of my favorite movies.
> 
> The classic pink Cadillac was from [the official art](http://thranduilings.tumblr.com/post/156049990714/this-new-official-art-is-so-wild-i-have-so-many). And the fact that Viktor called the car Baby was because of my old Supernatural obsession where Dean called his Chevy Impala, Baby. (The part where Yuuri misinterprets and thinks that Viktor has an actual baby was from the Princess Diaries)
> 
> The whole beach scene in general was inspired by engelen's art on Tumblr [here](http://engelen.tumblr.com/post/166484530591/it-took-me-3-months-more-than-it-should-have-but) and [here](http://engelen.tumblr.com/post/162871956411/i-was-making-another-yoi-sketchbook-but-i-didnt) and the pictures in the credit scene in the actual YOI tv show.
> 
> Edit: "Somewhere in his youth or childhood he must have done something good" (Sound of Music reference)
> 
> Thanks for reading!!!


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